


Still Waters

by Smuternatural



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Bisexual Dean Winchester, Bobby and Ellen crack me up, Creature Castiel (Supernatural), Creature Rowena, Cursed Castiel (Supernatural), Dean is strangely cool about all this, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Hunters, If You Squint - Freeform, Kissing, Language Barrier, M/M, Mentions of Murder, Minor Rowena MacLeod/Sam Winchester, Murder, Strangers to Friends, Witch Rowena MacLeod, Witchcraft, Witches, creature - Freeform, curse, mentions of torture, mermaid, merman, surrogate parents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 11:13:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 26,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24350086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smuternatural/pseuds/Smuternatural
Summary: If Dean Winchester had an online profile it would probably say something like:Age: 39Marital status: Single (and ready to mingle)Profession: Freelance carpenterLikes: Muscle cars, diner burgers, frisky men and women, pieDislikes: Finding a man (merman?) in his pool house
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 81
Kudos: 95





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This is my first attempt at something out of the normal Destiel box. I've never written anything like this before but I have read a lot of creature Dean/Cas stories and to be honest, they're some of my favorites! I hope you enjoy :)

There was a time Dean couldn't even imagine owning a house. It seemed too far fetched even for him. Sure, Baby was comfortable enough for a few nights in between motels, but she didn't have running water or indoor pluming (when you're pushing forty and single it's kind of a necessity).

His brother texted him daily with listings in the local papers of places to rent or houses that were ready to be lived in. He'd add stupid little thumbs up emojis next to properties circled in red ink.

_This one looks nice!_

_Too big for just me, Sam_

_What about a condo?_

_Who the hell you think I am? Steve Jobs?_

_Apartment for rent right down the road from me! It'd be like we were living together again!_

_Not a great way to sell me on a place, man._

_Ready right now, up to code and fully furnished_

_Where would I put all my shit? And there's no garage for Baby! Is she supposed to stay on the street?!_

The last one Sam sent didn't have a convincing caption or a aggressively circled article. It was a picture of a house with an attached garage, a building off to the side and a large (rickety) looking barn behind it. Dean stared at it for a long time before he reluctantly texted his annoying brother back a simple _Fine_.

And that's where he finds himself now. Standing outside the worse-for-wear home he's sinking his life savings (and every loan he can possibly get his hands on) into, waiting for the pretty real estate agent with the sparkling brown eyes. The photos didn't do the place justice- it's even more terrible in person, but Dean can see the potential in it. With a coat of paint, some new carpet, and about a million other tweaks, it could pass as livable. Probably. Maybe.

He hears the gravel crunch behind him and turns to see Lisa Braeden (aka sparkle eyes) walking up the driveway with an armful of papers and cardboard holder with two coffee cups.

"Lemme help you with that," Dean offers as he jogs over to her, taking the tray. "One of these for me?" he asks, pursing his lips and narrows his eyes playfully.

With her free hand, Lisa brushes her windswept hair out of her eyes and Dean catches the huge diamond on her ring finger glittering in the morning light. _Damn it._ _Why are all the good ones tak_ _en?_ She smiles brightly and takes the other cup. "You know it. Gotta keep the customers happy. Plus, I dragged you out in the middle of nowhere at seven am. I thought we could both use it." She held her cup up and gently knocked it against Dean's before taking a careful sip. "Christ that's better than sex," she all but moaned.

Licking his lips and cocking an eyebrow, Dean raised his cup and smiled around the lid. "Dunno if you're havin' the right kind of sex then, Lis."

_God she's even pretty when she's rolling her eyes._

"Come on, Dean," Lisa scoffs and bats at his shoulder with the stack of papers. "Last walk through before you sign."

She leads the way up the front steps (well, step) and carefully maneuvers around the holes that have rotted through the porch. The front door groans in protest as it's forced open and she steps inside with a sigh. "Home sweet home," she smiles, holding out her coffee cup hand and gestures to the front room.

There's about an inch of dust on everything and Dean can already feel his nose tingling. The furniture covered in white sheets look like the ghosts that are one hundred percent likely to be haunting this place, but Dean is almost excited to see what's under them. He hears Lisa's heels clicking in the distance as he runs a finger over the fireplace mantel, wondering how the hell this place is ever going to be de-grossed.

"Um, well that's new," Lisa says from inside the dining room area. "Dean? You said you're a contractor, right?"

_Oh well this is going to be just fucking great._

Reluctantly, Dean pushes open the saloon type doors that lead into the dining room. "Well, fuck," he sighs. He doesn't miss the worried "Am I going to get a commission this week or not?" look that crosses Lisa's face as he surveys the damage. Long story short- the ceiling is on the floor. There's insulation hanging from the shredded pieces of wood that clung to the roof, there's water _everywhere,_ and the antique dining room table he was itching to sink his teeth into is covered in mold soaked plaster.

Lisa skirts around the mess and wipes away a clear place on the surprisingly intact marble counter tops and sets her things down. Leaning against the counter, she sighs and stomps her heel on the hardwood floor a few times nervously.

"I understand if you want to back out of this," she hedges, glancing at Dean with her big "please please please don't" eyes.

Dean waves a hand nonchalantly. "Nah. What's a few...thousand dollars more in repairs, right?" He sees her visibly relax and her smile returns. "Why don't I just sign the papers now before we walk into the next room and see that the floor is in the basement?"

Lisa grins and beckons him over with a finger. She holds out a silver pen and flips the papers over one by one. "Last one and you're officially the proud new owner," she says, pointing at the red plastic flag on the last page.

"Here goes nothin'." Dean scrawls his name across the paper, effectively taking responsibility of the heap his standing in.

Lisa clapped her hands together and bounced in place. "Congratulations! I know you're going to turn this place around, Dean."

Funny thing is? He actually kind of believes her.

Ok, maybe not so much.

It's three pm and the sun in blazing through the hole in the dining room ceiling. He's already peeled the sweat soaked shirt off his body and tossed it in the dumpster (because, ew) along with a metric fuckton of debris and he's not even halfway through clearing the room. He's sitting on an old green cooler full of ice and beer, breathing heavily and holding his drink against his neck while cursing Sam for sending him the picture of this place. He knew it was going to be a lot of work, hell that's half the reason he bought in. He wanted something that was _his_. Something he worked hard on that he could be proud of.

But still, fuck this place right now.

Shaking out a rag, Dean wipes it across his forehead and blows his nose into it. His arms ache from lifting two-by-fours and water logged ceiling tiles, his skin is on fire from the insulation brushing up against him, and he's covered head to toe in shit he doesn't even want to think about.

Then he remembers he has a pool now. Lisa informed him that the side building was actually a pool house. _Score._

Ignoring the ripped screen in the back door, Dean makes his way down the back steps and follows the beaten path towards the pool house. The grass is about three feet high and there's a tree the size of the Chrysler building taking up a good chunk of the yard, but he pointedly ignores all that and trudges towards the sweet promise of cool water and a much needed break.

But just his luck, the closer he gets, the less promising it looks. The roof of the building is covered in glass panes, most cracked or already shattered. Thick vines have crawled up and branched out across the outside walls and dip down into the broken windows. If he's being honest with himself, it looks like a creepy building you'd yell "No don't go in there, you idiot!" to a girl in a horror movie who's looking to hide from a murderer. He rubs the side of his hand against a dirty pane and squints. It looks exactly as terrible as the rest of the house. He takes a step back and surveys the large French doors that are surprisingly untouched. There are strange marks carved into the molding on either side of the doors and what looks like a pentagram scratched into the rock walk way under his feet. _Fucking creepy kids and their graffiti._ With a defeated sigh, Dean shoves open the doors and carefully walks inside.

There are wrought iron chairs scattered around the sides of the pool that are covered in grime and rust. A deflated beach ball lays lifeless next to what Dean is positive is the carcass of a raccoon. And the pool, if it can even be classified as one, is filled to the brim with inky black water. There's leaves and scum collected around the edges and the _smell_ alone could kill a moose.

_So much for a break._

Dean runs a hand roughly down his face and stares at his reflection in the murky water and mutters something about killing his brother.

There's fluttering over his head and he looks up to see a crow landing in a large nest in the corner of the room. A mixture of hay and bird shit stick to the side of the wall, making it look like a candle was left to burn til the wick ended _and isn't that just fucking disgusting._

"Right. Ok. One thing at a time," Dean hisses to the bird. He turns on his heel and marches out of the pool house, slamming the door behind him.

The crow squawks and ruffles it's feathers, cocking it's head to the side and eyes the water as it begins rippling in the pool. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: descriptions of ritualistic murder and torture

Turns out the hardware store in town is halfway decent.

Dean is currently staring into a bin of nails and debating on whether to take the whole thing to the register or slam his face into it when someone walks up behind him.

"You the one who bought the house out on Stone Hollow?" Dean turned to the accusing voice and was met with a short woman with brown hair and a scowl spread across her face. She crossed her arms and nodded to the nail bin. "F'you're workin' on the roof you should use 12 gauge."

"I know," Dean said immediately as the woman raised an eyebrow. "And yeah, signed the papers today. Dean Winchester." He held out his hand and waited for Scowly McGee to unfold her arms and shake it.

"Ellen Harvelle. My husband and I own the store. You buy it just to fix er up and sell it or we gonna see you around here for a while?"

 _Her customer service voice sure could use some work._ "In it for the long haul," Dean nodded, scratching the back of his neck. "Don't plan on making it a habit of fixing up houses here and flippin' em if that's what you're worried about."

Ellen hmm'd and turned her head over her shoulder. "Bobby! Come meet the new guy." Her features softened as a bearded man wearing overalls walked down the aisle. "Dean Winchester, Bobby Singer."

Bobby shook Dean's hand and turned it over in his palm eyeing the callouses. "What line'a work you in, boy?"

"Contractor. Tryin' to get the roof fixed before the rain comes. There's a hole the size of Texas in my dining room." He nods to the back of the store. "You got plywood and shingles out there?"

Bobby grunts and nods. "How you plan on gettin' it back there? Sheets'a wood ain't gonna fit in that pretty car of yours."

 _Fuck, hadn't thought about that._ Dean sighed and ran a hand down his face. "'spose I could rent a trailer. Left the truck with my brother back in Lawrence."

Ellen snorted and patted Bobby on his shoulder before walking away. "What d'you know about that house, boy?"

"Uh, that it needs a shit ton of work?" Dean looked confused and shrugged.

"So you just decided buy a house, sight unseen, fix it up and live in it?"

"Kinda regretting it now if this is how the rest of the town is gonna be, but yeah. I did. There a problem with that?" Dean crossed his arms and stared Bobby defiantly.

A long minute passed before Bobby shook his head and hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "Meet you outback. Ellen'll have the truck ready."

_What the actual fuck just happened?_

Dean finished gathering the supplies he needed and lugged the heavy basket of nails and plastic sheets towards the back of the store. Ellen was leaning against an old red truck with the bed filled with plywood and shingles that matched the ones on the not ruined part of his roof. Bobby was speaking to her in a voice low enough that Dean couldn't quite make out what he was saying, but from his demeanor it wasn't about puppies and rainbows. Ellen's eyes flicked to Dean as she pushed off the truck and kissed her husband on the cheek. Dean hefted the basket through the open passenger window before stuffing his hand into his back pocket. He pulled out his wallet before Bobby waved a hand through the air.

"Don't bother. You're gonna need to start a line of credit anyway. Here's our card," he said, shoving a white rectangle into Deans' chest. "We'll get your information next time and Ellen'll keep track of the supplies ya buy." He pulled himself into the truck and Dean backed away as the engine roared to life. "Well, let's git, daylight is burnin'." 

Dean watched in confusion as Bobby pulled out of the lot and headed in the direction of his house.

"The wife gonna kick my ass if I offer you a beer?" Dean wiped his forehead with the back of his hand as he sprawled out on the front porch. Unloading the plywood in the summer heat was just as bad as hauling it out of the house. Bobby huffed as he lowered himself to the step next to Dean.

"One won't hurt," Bobby grunted as he took a cold bottle out of the cooler. They sat there in silence for a moment, staring out over the field that was Dean's lawn. Bobby took a sip of beer and frowned at the overgrown grass. "So you really haven't heard anything about this place?"

Dean shook his head and took a long pull of his beer. "Nope. Just looked like a good place to put down roots. What's wrong with it besides the obvious? Cuz I gotta say, gettin' the third degree from you and your wife, who's scary as shit by the way, is kinda making me regret the decision." He leaned back on his elbows and watched Bobby's face contort.

"Ain't nothin' wrong with it, really. Just has a long history s'all. No one's lived here in almost fifty years. Last owner," Bobby trailed off and glanced towards the pool house.

"What about em?" Dean hedged.

Bobby drained his beer and set it down between the two before turning to look Dean in the eyes. "You believe in shit that can't exactly be explained, son?"

 _Uh, what the fuck?_ Dean cocked an eyebrow. "Like ghosts and shit?"

Bobby huffed and licked his lips. "Yeah, like ghosts and shit."

Dean shrugged. "I mean, I guess? I uh---thought I saw my mom once after she died. Bigfoot's definitely real," he smirked, pointing his bottle at Bobby.

Bobby rolled his eyes and pushed off the porch to stand and stretch his back. "Better start believing in more than just Bigfoot if you're gonna live around these parts," he muttered.

"Ok, seriously Bobby, spit it out." Dean's voice trembled a little as he watched the old man stand.

Bobby walked down the rickety step and sighed before turning to Dean. "Get that tarp over the dining room before the storm rolls in," was all he said before getting in his truck and leaving Dean sitting there baffled.

Lightning crept across the night sky and thunder rattled the thin windows of the house. Dean was curled up in a sleeping bag on the living room floor attempting to sleep but the storm made sure he was wide awake early into the morning. If the storm wasn't loud enough, the constant _drip drip_ of the leaking roof was torturing his ears as the wind howled through the cracks in the walls. Sleep was going to be impossible.

_Fuck._

Dean sat up in his makeshift bed and scrubbed his hands over the stubble on his face. Bobby's words still rang in his head along with the storm. _Better start believing. The fuck does that even mean?_ He pulled his phone out from under his pillow and prayed to whoever was listening that he got cell service all the way out here. He punched his address into Google and wiggled his leg in anticipation as the page slowly loaded.

_September 18th, 1968 Stone Hollow, Kansas- Family murdered in ritualistic manner._

_Tragedy struck in the quiet town of Atwood, Kansas last night resulting in four dead and one missing._

_The Novak family home was infiltrated by at least two cult members who took Claire (10), Anna (8), and Jack (4) out of their beds late last night. Officers on scene described the carnage as "The worst thing I've ever seen. I'll never get those poor children's faces out of my mind."_

_Parts of Mrs. Novak were found behind the family home, under the tree where the Novak children were hanging._

_A large pentagram drawn in blood was seen under the tree containing teeth that had been pulled from Mrs. Novaks mouth._

_Mr. Novak is still missing._

_Authorities have no leads on the killers, but the investigation is ongoing._

Dean wiped away tears that had escaped his eyes without his knowledge and chucked his phone on the floor.

"Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck." Dean stood and paced in the living room, chest heaving as he looked around the house. Lightning struck and illuminated the backyard and his eyes were instantly drawn to the downed tree in the backyard. "Fuck!" He trembled as he imagined those poor children hanging---

_No. Nope. Not thinking about that._

He scooped his phone off the floor and dug in his pockets, fingers trembling as he dialed.

"Bobby? Yeah we gotta talk."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean, Bobby, and Ellen have a chat.  
> Dean continues working on the house

Baby kicks up mud as Dean turns down the long Singer-Harvelle driveway. His heart hasn't stopped pounding since he read that horrific article online and his brow is lined with sweat. _This can't be real. It's a hoax. Just a media exaggeration._ He slams on the breaks once he gets close to Bobbys' porch, silently apologizing to Baby as he climbs out of the car. The storm is still raging and the wind whips ice cold rain into his eyes. His wet, heavy boots carry him up the steps before he starts banging on the door.

"Bobby! Ellen! Open up!" He pulls the collar of his jacket up to protect against the wind and rain as he waits, shifting from foot to foot. "Bob---"

"Jesus H Christ, can't you wait a damn minute?" Bobby growled as he opened the door and ushered Dean inside. "Didn't think you'd get here so fast. You better not be speedin' in this kinda weather, boy."

Dean glared at the old man as he bent down to take off his soaking wet boots. "Think speeding is the least of my worries right now, don't you?"

Bobby huffed and tilted his head, gesturing for Dean to follow him through the mud room and into the kitchen. Ellen was standing at the counter pouring mugs of coffee as she glanced at Dean out of the corner of her eye.

"Si'down," Bobby ordered as he grabbed a bottle out of the cupboard. He shoved a mug of coffee in front of Dean and topped it off with a decent helping of whiskey before he joined him at the table. "I'm assumin' you have questions."

Dean took a long drink and set the mug down with shaky hands before running a hand down his face. "Only about fifty," he sighed. He wrapped his fingers around the mug, letting the heat thaw his frozen fingers. "So," he swallowed thickly, "my house is the sight of a mass murder?"

"Ain't your house, but yeah," Ellen scowled.

Dean whipped his head towards her as Bobby gripped her hand gently. "The hell you mean? It's mine," he drove his pointer finger into his palm, "bought and paid for today. I told you that this afternoon."

"Not what she means." Bobby sighed as Ellen crossed her arms over her chest. "You just got here, Dean. You ain't heard all the rumors that go along with that house. It's got a reputation in this town. Some real weird shit went down there, you only read some of it. There's," he looked to Ellen who shrugged, "there's _something_ on the property, Dean. Somethin' you can't tear out or rip down. It's rooted deep."

"'Better start believing'," Dean repeated. "So, what? It's haunted?"

"More like cursed. Boy you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into," Ellen huffed with a laugh. "You best pack up what little you brought, cut your loses and git while you still can."

Dean drained his coffee and pulled the bottle of whiskey over. "Cursed," he whispered as he poured himself a cup. "S'that what all those weird ass things are carved into the pool house?"

Ellen leaned over the table and poked a finger into the table as she glared at Dean. "You stay the hell away from that pool house, y'hear? Don't go sniffin' around places you don't belong."

"Belong?" Dean barked. "I don't give two shits what you think is goin' on _my_ land but it's _mine_ and I'll go anywhere I please."

Bobby bristled and squared his shoulders. "Now listen here boy--"

Dean shook his head and stared down into his almost empty mug. "Sorry. Fuck. Sorry, Ellen. I'm just freaked the fuck out, alright? I thought the worst of my problems was a hole in the roof and a dead raccoon in the pool house. Never thought I'd be dealin' with---"

"What?" Ellen hissed as she stood, her chair grinding against the hardwood floor.

Dean looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. "Uh, _what_ what?"

"You went into the pool house today?" Bobby answered for his wife.

"Yeah? Like I said, there were these weird fuckin' carvings on the sides of the doors, wanted to make sure some kids didn't get in there and completely ruin the place with their damn graffiti. Just what I need is more work. The hell is so special about the pool? Oh, God, did someone die in there, too?" Dean covered his face and groaned into his palms.

"What did you see?" Bobby asked quietly.

Dean sighed and sat back in his chair. "Buncha old junk, a ton of bird shit, and the nastiest smellin' water I've ever seen. Why?"

Ellen sighed and sat back down. "Just---if you plan on stayin' in this town and in that house, you're gonna need more than just roofin' supplies."

Dean watched as Ellen stood and walked into the next room, opening drawers and cupboards.

"Bobby what the hell?" Dean whispered.

"Sorry to be the one to tell ya son, but you're gonna need a crash course in all things supernatural. It ain't like in the movies. There's shit out there that goes bump in the night and you're gonna have to be prepared when it does."

"What---" 

Ellen walked back into the room and slammed a pile of books down on the table. "Get readin'. I'll make more coffee."

"So all this shit...is real?" Dean whispered as his fingers grazed over multiple pages of old books.

"That and more," Ellen said as she flipped a piece of bacon.

"Curses, hexes, fucking werewolves?" Dean's voice raised an octave. "And you two," he waved an accusing finger between the two, "hunt them."

"Hunted," Bobby corrected. "We're retired. Not many hunters can say that, but we got out a while ago and moved here."

"Haven't looked back since," Ellen smiled at her husband as she piled his place with eggs and bacon.

Dean cleared the books out of the way as Ellen brought his plate over. "So what's this gotta do with me?"

Bobby huffed through his nose as he shoveled a forkful of eggs into his mouth. "I think it's best you see for yourself when you get home."

"Don't worry," Ellen smirked. "There aren't ghosts or ghouls roaming around your house. Bobby and I keep an eye on the place, make sure nothin' bothers the property."

"Then what the hell's in my house?" Dean almost shrieked.

Bobby and Ellen laughed out loud as they continued eating their breakfast.

Dean parked Baby outside the garage and sat in the car for a long time. He surveyed the land carefully and looked in all the windows for any movement behind them before actually getting out of the car. All the information he learned last night (this morning) was still swimming in his head, making him cautious about entering his own damn house. Well, not the house specifically.

 _You went into the pool house?_ Ellen's words rang in his ears. _Fuck this. I ain't bein' scared of a goddamn pool._

Dean slowly started walking towards the pool house. There was no movement from inside as he peered into one of the cracked glass windows. The dead raccoon hadn't moved _thank God_ , and the crow was still in her nest. Everything seemed to be just as he left it. He pushed the door open carefully and crept inside. Dean walked around the perimeter of the pool a few times, clearing away any debris in his path.

_Fuck the roof today, this pool house is getting hauled out._

Dean dragged the garbage and old furniture out into the yard and onto a tarp. With all the rain last night, the pool was over flowing onto the tiles, so Dean used a push broom to sweep the black, smelly water outside. He also removed the raccoon using a rake and thick rubber gloves. He hauled in a pressure hose from the garage and sprayed down the vines and caked on dirt that clung to the walls, revealing a giant mural. Once the room was de-cluttered and completely swept out, Dean stood back and admired his work.

"Well shit, this doesn't look half bad," he smiled as he took in the improved scenery. The tiles sparkled in the sun as they dried and the mural on the wall was clear enough now that Dean could make it out. A person laid in the grass near a glittering pond with their fingertips sinking just below the surface. Underneath the water, there was a creature with sharp claws and scaly skin rising to the surface with their hand reached out. Dean shuddered as he looked at the creature. "Might have to paint over that creepy shit," he muttered to himself as he walked out to the yard. He dragged a large sump pump behind him, hauling a long hose over his shoulder. He tossed the end into the pool, grimacing at the film floating on top. Flipping a switch on the side, the pump roared to life. He tossed it into the murky water and watched as it was sucked through the hose and out into the yard. Dean watched the crow ruffle it's feathers and caw at the noise the pump was making.

"Sorry, bird. You're just gonna have to deal with it," Dean yelled over the noise. "Don't you dare shit on this clean floor!" He pointed and scowled at the crow before closing the door as best he could and headed towards the house.

Dean finally got the roof repaired the next morning. He hammered in the last nail and stood, holding a hand over his brow to get a better look at the whole property from the top of his house.

"Man, this could really be something," he said to himself with a smile. He looked over to the pool house and squinted into the sun. "What the hell?" He carefully climbed down the ladder against the house and walked towards the pumps hose. There should've been a giant pond of nasty water that was sucked out of the pool, but there was only a small puddle. He picked up the hose and followed it into the building.

The crow greeted him with a low caw and fluttered to it's nest. The pump was no longer running and the pool was still completely full. Dean dropped the hose and checked the switch on the side of the pump and was confused when showed it was in the _OFF_ position.

"What the fuck?" Dean muttered. "You do this?" he asked the crow with a raised eyebrow. The bird tilted it's head and stared at him. Dean sighed and flipped the switch, watching as the hose inflated and started spewing water outside. With a shrug, he left the pump to do it's job and walked towards the house. Halfway there, the roar of the pump stopped. Dean turned around and stomped towards the pool house and swung the door open, the sound of it hitting the wall echoing inside. He yanked the pump out of the water to see the switch in the _OFF_ position again. "What the actual fuck is going on?" he yelled loud enough to rattle the thin windows. He yanked the hose out of the water and checked to make sure it wasn't clogged (which was a whole matter of disgusting). He tossed the end of the hose and the pump back in the pool and wiped his hands on his jeans, grimacing at the smell. The crossed his arms and stood there, watching the water line of the pool ever so slowly lower.

Just as he was turning to leave, the water at the end of the pool bubbled lightly. Dean squinted as the water began rippling, the bubbles getting bigger and closer to the pump. His breath caught in his throat and his heart hammered in his chest as he watched a long, green, scaly finger rise out of the water and flip the switch on the pump.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sooo...Dean is freaking out (and rightfully so)
> 
> Also, if you haven't seen the movie Enemy Mine (and yes I'm aware just how much I'm aging myself here), watch this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy2wbgzUaD0 around 7:25, that's what I'm basing Cas' voice on.
> 
> Short chapter because I keep having panic attacks and can't thinkkkkkk. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you guys in the next one.

_I'm hallucinating. I have to be. It's just a turtle or something. A turtle...with a finger. Yeah, that's gotta be it._

Dean watched as the sharp nail attached to a long finger sunk back down into the water. A few bubbles pop on the surface before the room is completely silent because Dean as stopped fucking breathing as he stares at the water.

_How much have a drank today? Maybe it's heat stroke. People start seein' shit when they have heat stroke don't they?_

The crow cawed loudly and shook Dean out of his stupor. He tore his eyes away from the pool and stared wide eyed at the bird.

"What. The fuck. Was that? WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" he screamed at the crow who ruffled it's feathers and pecked at it's nest. Lifting his foot carefully, Dean began slowly backing out of the pool house, eyes trained on the water. A few bubbles floated to the surface and Dean stopped in his backwards tracks. Panic flooded through him, his limbs shaky and the faint sensation of pin pricks spread across his chest. He watched in horror as a mound of something stringy and black rose from the surface of the water.

_Please be another dead raccoon, please be another dead raccoon._

It rose slowly, inch by inch, until Dean could make out the shape. A human head was now visibly rising out of the water, ice blue eyes already open and glaring at Dean. Its black hair was covering most of its face. Mossy green scales were spattered around the cheeks and forehead. The most concerning? Its lips were curled into a snarl revealing long, sharp fangs.

Dean held his breath and watched the creature watch him. After the worlds longest staring contest (about one full minute), Dean did what any rational person in this _very_ normal situation would do. Ever so slowly he began raising his left hand until his fingers were spread, palm out, in front of his chest. He swallowed thickly and opened his mouth.

"Uh. Hi," he said barely above a whisper.

The creatures eyes narrowed into tiny slits. A black and green fist raised out of the water near its head, slowly spreading long fingers mimicking Dean's gesture. 

_Holy fuck. Holy SHIT it just waved at me._

Dean cleared his throat and turned his hand around, pointing at himself. "Dean," he said quietly.

The creature waded a few inches closer but stopped when Dean gasped. Pulling its scaly eyebrows together, the creature once again copied Deans motion and pointed to itself. It opened its mouth and the sound that came out could only be described as a gurgling growl. It reminded Dean of the alien from the movie _Enemy Mine,_ vaguely wondering if the movie was based on a true fucking story. The creature watched Dean intently as it lowered its hand back into the water.

"N-nice to meet you. Didn't quite catch your name though," Dean said shakily and forced a smile. The creature tilted it's head and squinted at Dean, its blue eyes scanning his body as it inched towards the edge of the pool. The closer it got, the more shallow the water became which began revealing more scales scattered across pale human skin. Large biceps and a toned chest were now visible making it hard for Dean to look away. _Ok, so the monster is jacked. Did NOT see that coming._ A large patch of scales curled over its stomach and hips before disappearing below the line of water lapping at its waist. Standing at full height now, Dean guessed it (well not it--- _he,_ considering the shape of his body and the telltale V between his hips) was about as tall as he was and in _much_ better shape. Swimming must be a damn good workout because this thing was sporting muscles Dean didn't even know existed in his abs and flanks.

Dean cleared his throat and began slowly lowering himself to the still wet tiles, ignoring the cold water soaking through his jeans. Now at eye level and much closer, Dean could make out the stubble on his face and the iridescent shine on his skin where the sun shone through the broken glass ceiling.

"That why the water is so dark?" Dean asked mostly to himself.

The creature frowned down at his arm as he raised it out of the water, rotating it in a beam of sunlight. Dean watched as green and purple flecks of light danced across his skin and _Holy shit that's fucking beautiful_. He lowered it into the black water, still rotating it as Dean leaned in closer to watch. Nothing. Not even a speck of color could be seen.

"Huh. That's uh---that's kinda cool," Dean smiled. The creature shrugged and Dean couldn't help but notice how human a gesture it was. "Guessin' that's why you didn't want me draining the pool." Dean was met with snarled lip and a sharp hiss. "Ok, ok. I won't touch it, I swear," Dean promised with hands raised in surrender. The creature relaxed his mouth and sighed (actually fucking SIGHED) as he skimmed a hand over the water.

As messed up a situation this was, Dean was having a hard time being scared. Or freaked out. Or anything a normal goddamn person would be feeling right now. He was more curios and fucking fascinated by the thing he'd found in his pool. He let his eyes wander as the creature started at him.

"So, what are you?" Dean asked as he watched water drip from the mess of hair on his head. "I mean---was that rude? Sorry, I've just never---I've never seen---" he gestured towards the creatures body.

An amused grunt rumbled in the creatures chest as he glanced at Dean out of the corner of his eye. He seemed to think about his answer before raising a hand to his throat. Two long fingers tapped the dip between his collar bones as he frowned.

"Can't talk? Oh!" Dean's eyes widened. "Are you like Ariel?" _Reeeal fucking smooth, Winchester._

The creature raised a scaly eyebrow in confusion before shaking his head. He opened his mouth and the same gargling sound filled the room as before. Dean flinched at the noise and held up a hand. "Don't hurt yourself, man. If you can't talk that's cool. I probably talk enough for the both of us." The creatures lip curled up into a legitimate grin and Dean had to hold back a gasp as his white teeth scraped over his lower lip.

"Christ, you're fuckin' gorgeous aren't y---" _Shit._ Dean cleared his throat and stood abruptly, startling the creature. "I uh----I have to---" Dean hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "I'm sorry," was all he could get out before bolting out the door and leaving behind a confused looking _something_ in the pool house.

The bell over the hardware store clanged loudly as Dean shoved the door open and headed for the counter. Ellen was sitting on a stool behind the register with a book in her hand as she looked up.

"What. Is that THING. In MY POOL." Dean slapped his palms down on the counter that was covered with taped down business cards and fliers.

"Hello to you too," Ellen replied coolly as she turned the page of her book. "Need s'more shingles today?"

Dean closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. "Ellen," he whispered darkly. With a huff, Ellen slid off her stool and curved a finger at Dean. He followed her to the back of the store and through a door marked "OFFICE. STAY THE HELL OUT." where Bobby was sitting. He turned in his chair and raised an eyebrow when he took in Dean's state.

"He look in the pool?" Bobby asked Ellen gruffly before turning back to his papers.

"Seems like," Ellen snickered.

Dean pursed his lips and flopped his hands in the air, letting them fall to his sides with a slap. "Oh yeah, it's super fucking funny ain't it? I finish workin' on my roof just to find a fuckin' what? Mermaid in my pool? Yeah cuz that's down right hilarious isn't it?"

"Oh so you finished the roof? No shingles then I guess." Ellen crossed her arms and leaned against the door jam.

"Ell, quit it." Bobby looked up at her over his glasses before taking them off and tossing them on the desk. "I take it you met Castiel?" he asked as he straightened a stack of papers on his desk.

" _Castiel_? That---whatever that thing is has a name?" Dean asked, clearly getting more annoyed with each question he's asked.

"Black hair, blue eyes, scaly fella?" Ellen asked with an amused smile. "Yea, that's Castiel."

"Casti---wait." Dean covered his face with both hands and sighed heavily. _Maybe I'm dreaming. This is just a really bad dream. I fell off the roof and this is just a coma nightmare._ "You two KNEW he was in there and didn't tell me. Why?"

"He's harmless," Bobby answered simply. "Keeps to himself, never leaves to pool, ain't a threat to nobody so what's the hurt in lettin' him stay there? After all, it was his house before your scrawny ass moved in."

"My ass ain't scrawn---" Deans words die on his tongue. "Wait. You---you said it's his place? He's---"

"Mr. Castiel Novak," Ellen supplies.

_I'm going to have a fucking stroke._

"Let me get this straight." Dean wrapped a hand around his face, fingers digging into his cheeks. "The guy who's family was butchered on my land is currently Little Mermaid-ing in my pool and no one thinks that's the least bit fucked up?"

Ellen and Bobby shrug like it's no big deal. "Like I told ya son, there's things out there you got no idea about. Castiel is one'a them things. I'm sure you two'll get along just fine seein' as you were able to get into the pool house no problem."

"Why wouldn't I----it's just a pool house, Bobby. Why wouldn't I be able to get in?"

"Remember those carvings you saw on the doors?" Ellen asked and Dean nodded. "Bobby and I put 'em there to keep people out. They're warding sigils. Ain't nobody supposed to be able to just mosey on in there. Makes people pass right on by whether they're curious about goin' in or not. But you---" Ellen huffed and shook her head.

"But me what?" Dean's voice wavered slightly.

"Must be different," Bobby shrugged. "Nobody's been in there since---Christ, I don't know when."

Dean half collapsed against the office wall and slid down until he was sitting on his haunches. "So he's just been---what---alone all this time? Why don't you guys---I dunno, go keep him company or something? He can't just be left alone, Ellen!"

"We check on him from time to time, make sure things are alright. But, Dean," Ellen softened her usual glare and looked down at Dean with sad eyes, "he just---there isn't anything we can do for him. Every time we'd go he'd get less and less interested, stay down in the water and wouldn't come up."

Dean's head thudded against the wall. "He's alone," he whispered. "No wonder he can't talk. Probably hasn't said a word since---"

Bobby's chair squeaked loudly and Ellen pushed off the wall. _Christ what now?_

"He---you talked to him?" Ellen asked.

"Tried," Dean shrugged. "Mostly I talked. He tried but it just sounded kinda...I dunno, painful? Like he was gargling. Seemed to understand me though."

Bobby sighed and leaned forward in his chair, resting his arms on his thighs. "Remember how I told you the land was cursed?" Dean nodded weakly, staring at the old man. "Well, Castiel _is_ the curse. The newspapers called it a cult, but what really happened was a coven of witches killed the Novaks and cursed Castiel. Turned him into what you saw today."

Deans throat constricted as his heart pounded in his chest. "But why? Why the hell'd they do that? Was Castiel a bad guy or what?"

"From what we gathered, the Novaks were hunters like us. Apparently he killed a bunch'a the covens witches and they retaliated. Long story short, the coven started a war that ended in your backyard. Them poor babies---" Bobby cleared his throat and blinked rapidly, "they killed 'em and their mamma and cursed Castiel for what he done."

Dean's head thudded against the wall. "How is this suddenly my life?" He blinked up at Ellen who was rubbing Bobby's shoulder gently. "What do I do, Ellen?"

She shook her head and sighed. "Go home. Keep fixin' the place up."

Dean swallowed past the lump in his throat. "And Castiel?" 

The bell at the front counter dinged . "We don't know honey," Ellen said as she walked out of the office.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean is just....he's the best.  
> Also get.ready.for.touch.starved.Castielllllll omg

Working on a house that is literally falling down around you while there's a fucking merman in your pool is next to impossible.

Dean has the entire house cleared of crunched beer cans, broken furniture, and used condoms _fucking teenagers_ within a few hours. He's running on caffeine and four hours of sleep, not to mention the adrenaline that shoots through his veins every time he glances at the pool house, which--let's face it--is every ten minutes. He can picture Castiel in there curled up in the corner of the pool, listening to the crow caw and just....waiting.

Dean grunted as he heaved a splintered rocking chair off the porch and into a dumpster Bobby had delivered without Dean asking. It's a shame, too. It's handmade and beautifully carved with vines and flowers climbing up arm rests. _Hope Castiel wasn't overly fond of it._ Dean glanced at the pool house and noticed the vines have started growing uncontrollably and dipping even further down into the broken glass. _What the hell. Needs to be taken care of at some point anyway._ He walked towards the pool house and his heart started to race, playing the sweat off as exerting himself from cleaning out the house, not the nervous feeling seeping into his spine. He carefully pushed the doors open, not able to help the smile that spread almost painfully across his face.

_Jesus fucking Christ._

Castiel's upper half is out of the water and leaning on the edge of the pool closest to the door. His eyes are closed as he basks in the sun, making his skin reflect green and purple lights that dance across the wall. His arms are curled under his chin as the water behind him ripples gently. He looks...content. Shaking his head, Dean lowers himself down close to Castiel with a grunt.

"So I gotta ask," Dean began, watching Castiel carefully, "do you have a tail?"

Eyes still closed, Castiel snorted a laugh through his nose. The ripples behind Castiel grew wider as he slowly raised a giant, scaly green tail out of the water. It was thick with black scales spiraling towards a massive web that spanned at least four feet wide.

"Holy fucking fuck," Dean gasped. He stared at it, desperately itching to reach his fingers out and run them over the smooth looking skin.

Castiel pried open a brilliant blue eye and flicked his tail, shooting black water droplets towards Dean.

Dean nodded slowly and ran a hand down his face to wipe the water away. "Yeah ok, I guess I deserved that," he chuckled. "I uh, I talked to Bobby and Ellen today. You know them, right? Surly sons'a bitches that check in on you from time to time?" Castiel hummed as he lowered his tail into the water. "They uh---told me bout what happened. With your family and everything."

Castiel slowly pushed off the pools edge and tensed his jaw.

"Sorry---shit. I didn't mean to bring it up. I just---" Dean sighed as he watched Castiel's face contort, "I wanted to let you know, that it really fucking sucks what happened to you. I can't---can't imagine what you went through an' I'm really sorry, Castiel."

The creatures eyes widened at the use of his name as he stared up at Dean.

"Yeah, I know your name now," Dean grinned. "I like it. S'nice." Dean watched Castiel slink forward and grip the edge of the pool with his talons. "They uh, also told me that there isn't anything they can do for all this," he waved a hand towards the tail lapping in the water, "but I gotta say, Cas, I'm diggin' it."

Castiel smiled and licked his lower lip, sharp fangs shining in the sunlight. He shook his head and pushed away from the edge, smoothly gliding across the top of the pool. Dean watched as Cas closed his eyes and flicked his tail, sending water shooting into the air. His human skin glistened in the sun and his hair flowed around his head in a dark halo. His eyes traveled down Castiels' body (because come on, there's a freaking merman in front of him. What's he going to do- not look?) and landed on the spot where skin met scale. He briefly wondered where all his more human parts were when he was met with a face full of water. He sputtered and coughed, pulling his shirt up to wipe off his face.

"Oh come on, man. Not cool," Dean complained. He looked down at his drenched shirt and sighed before pulling it over his head and tossing it to the side. "You know that water reeks, right? I wish you'd let me drain it and put fresh in."

Popping his eyes open, Castiel twisted so he was on his stomach and with a flap of his tail, he was in front of Dean again. He cocked his head to the side and pointed a finger at the sump pump with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah," Dean smiled. "That'll get rid of all this," he waved his hands out over the water. "It's loud as hell---sorry bout that by the way---but it'll suck all this crap out and I can pump clean water in. Don't worry about your cool light-up skin or whatever, I think it's really pretty---pretty cool I mean." _Get a fucking grip._ He watched as Castiel seemed to contemplate his offer, looking around the pool at the leaves and gunk that had built up over the years. With a smile, Castiel nodded his head. "Really? Oh man, Cas, you're gonna love it." Dean stood and walked over to the pump and kicked it into the water. "Wait." Dean turned and faced Castiel with a worried look. "Can you survive without bein' in water for a while? I don't---I have no idea how that works. The pool will be empty for a while before I can fill it."

Tapping his chin _There he goes again, acting all human and adorable,_ Castiel frowned and shook his head. He pulled himself up over the ledge of the pool (Dean definitely didn't almost accidentally look at the creatures ass to see what he was workin' with. You know, for science.) and squinted his eyes as he looked out into the yard. He beamed a smile and pointed a talon towards the house as his tail swished in the pool. Dean walked over to the door and poked his head out, looking in the direction Castiel was pointing. A laugh bubbled up and out of his mouth as he nodded.

"Yeah ok, Cas. That'll work."

So this is his life now. It's totally normal to be working on the porch steps while there's a merman splashing happily in an old claw foot tub not ten feet from you. Dean had sadly hauled the thing out of the bathroom a few days ago, cursing the kids of this town and their deviant, albeit gorgeous, graffiti habits. Someone had spray painted a beautiful scene of the night sky with a crescent moon with an owl perched on it. And on the other side of the tub- a giant purple dick.

Dean smiled as he listened to the happy gargling noises Castiel made as he sunk down into the water and blew bubbles out of his nose. He dropped his hammer and walked over to the tub he'd dragged under a shady tree (gotta keep the Northern lights to a minimum when he's out in the open) and knelt down. Castiel's head and torso were underwater while his tail drooped over the edge of the tub. He looked up at Dean as a hand gripped the side of the tub and pulled himself out of the water. Dean watched the water wash over his scales as Castiel ran his hands through his hair, scrubbing at his scalp gently. He smiled wide at Dean, leaning his elbows on the tub as he rested his chin in his hands.

"Feel good?" Dean guessed.

A content hum rumbled in the creatures chest as he curled his tail down and into the water. His eyes bounced around the outside of the house, taking in the repairs Dean was working on.

"I uh, hope you don't mind," Dean said with a gesture towards the house. "I know it's still your place and all but---" he rubbed the back of his neck nervously as Castiel frowned, "It needs a lot of work." Castiel sunk a little further into the water and ran a finger across the edge of the tub. "I really like it here, Cas. I can see settlin' down and making a life here. This is what I do for a living so I just wanted you to know that I'll take real good care of the place ok?" Without thinking, Dean reached over and patted the creatures hand gently.

Castiel stared at their hands with wide eyes before dragging his eyes up to look at Dean. His breath came out in a sharp gasp and Dean couldn't tell if it was tub water or tears pooling at the corner of his eyes.

"Fuck. Oh shit, I'm sorry man. I didn't mean---I wasn't thinking," Dean stammered as he began pulling his hand away. Castiel's other hand flew out of the water and gripped Dean's wrist tight, holding him in place. Cold, smooth fingers brushed against the heated skin on Dean's hand and made their way down each finger. His careful talon bumped against Deans knuckles before he looked up at the man through his lashes. Dean swallowed hard and slowly turned his hand over so their palms were touching. He let his thumb rub over the tiny scales speckled across Cas' wrist and smiled when he heard him sigh. "Probably been a while since---" Dean cleared his throat and stopped himself from asking the dumbest question ever. Castiel hadn't been touched in nearly fifty years. "Do you mind if I---" Dean asked, nodding towards his forearm. Castiel's mouth tugged at a smile before he shook his head an lifted his arm out of the water. Dean let the back of his fingers slide up Cas' wrist to a patch of scales wrapping around his arm. He smiled at the feeling of the rough scales under his fingertips. "You're really somethin', you know that Cas?" Castiel responded by reaching out and trailing two fingers across Dean's collar bone and down the middle of his chest. A sound vibrated in his chest as his eyes mapped the expanse of Dean's naked torso and the tattoo on his shoulder.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, letting each other explore their differences before Castiel slowly pulled away. "I should probably--" Dean hooked a thumb over his shoulder towards the house. "You need anything before I go? Wait---do you eat? I just realized I know nothing about how to take care of you, man."

A garbled sound rumbled in his throat as he let his fingers glide through the water.

"Really wish you could talk," Dean sighed. "Ok, uh, sandwiches?" Castiel shook his head. "Pizza?" That earned him an eye roll. "Ok, well what about a nice juicy fish?" If looks could kill, Dean would be pushing daisies or more accurately, drown in a tub. He barked a laugh and raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, I guess you don't eat. I'm gonna go back to work. Just---splash if you need anything alright?"

Castiel watched Dean walk back to the porch and hummed to himself happily before sinking under the water.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this kiiiinda drunk *shrugs*  
> Also, smut. So, yeah. Be warned.

"Jesus Christ, Cas," Dean pants. He can feel soft, warm skin graze against his own as he watches a mass of black hair work it's way between his thighs. His hips raise up when he feels a wet tongue write love letters on his skin before sucking a bruise on the over sensitive area. "Cas, baby please," he begs. Dean catches a brief flash of sharp fangs when the man below him smiles. His heart hammers in his ears as he feels the warmth of Cas' mouth finally wrap around his cock and gives an experimental tongue flick to his slit. Willing himself to keep his eyes open, Dean props himself up on his elbows and runs a gentle hand through damp hair, moaning when Castiel takes him deeper. "M'not gonna last if you keep doin' that, baby."

Castiel drops his jaw and opens his mouth, letting Dean fuck his throat slowly. Blue eyes stare up at Dean through dark lashes, long talons dig slightly into his thighs which only add to the absolute pleasure Dean is experiencing right now. "Fuck, fuckfuckfuckfuck! Cas I'm---"

Dean sits up in bed, his brow lined with sweat, hands dug into the sheets like a tick as his chest heaves. Wiping a hand down his face, he swings his legs over the bed and absolutely ignores the situation between his legs. He's leaking through his boxers and curses his stupid brain as he peels them off and tosses them in a hamper. Pulling a clean pair of sweats out of an old dresser, he dresses in a fog of embarrassment. He hasn't had a wet dream since he saw Han Solo strut across the movie theater screen when he was a teenager and he'll be damned if he'll categorize this as one even though the evidence is laying not three feet from him.

Dean descended the rickety stairs and walked to the fridge, pulling it open harder than necessary to grab a midnight _actually, what fucking time is it?_ beer. The clock on the wall tells him it's half past four and he groans. _Fuckin' Cas and his stupid gorgeous fuckin' face. He's a goddamn MERMAID. Get your shit together!_ Speaking of--- Dean walked to the bathroom and pressed his ear against the door.

_"So, umm...I'm gonna have to carry you in," Dean muttered. "S'that alright? I mean, it's cool if you wanna like...wiggle your way up the porch or somethin', but I don't want you getting slivers in places you definitely don't want em." Dean's fingers dug into his wrist nervously as he watched Castiel contemplate his options. "I just---I can't leave you out here alone all night, man. I know you haven't," Dean swallowed hard and avoided the bright blue eyes staring at him, "haven't been in the place for---well, a long ass time. I don't want you to freak out or whatever, but I can't put you back in the pool house until tomorrow when it's filled and I'm definitely not leaving you out here all night. Someone could see or and wild animal could get curious. So if you're ok with it, I can bring the tub into the lower bathroom and you can stay the night inside."_

_Castiel's eyes shifted from Dean to the house a few times. A fang popped out as he gnawed his lower lip, thinking it over silently. He shrugged and braced himself against the tub, raising his waist above the water as he held out a hand to Dean._

_Dean's arms immediately shot out in front of him and gripped Cas' arms gently. The contrast of his warm skin against cold, wet scales made him shiver. Castiel smiled briefly before Dean hauled him up bridal style into his arms. "You're heavier than you look, man," Dean smiled as he held Castiel tighter to his chest. The creatures breath left in a huff against Dean's chest and he watched as goosebumps prickled the mans' skin. He wrapped an arm around Dean's neck and let out a small hum when his fingertips ran through the short hairs on the mans neck. Dean bit back a smile as he walked Castiel up the porch, pausing briefly at the threshold. Dean looked into Castiel's eyes for a moment, taking in his deep blue eyes and scaly cheek before taking a deep breath._

_"Ready?"_

So this is where Dean finds himself now. Being a creepy almost peeping tom on the opposite side of his bathroom door, listening for any sign that Castiel is awake. He set his beer down and gently knocked on the door.

"Cas? You awake in there?" He rested his fingers on the handle and waited for confirmation.

A splash of water and a gurgled response came from the bathroom a minute later and Dean pushed the door open. Castiel's head rose out of the water as Dean entered, his eyes already trained on Dean and smiling.

"You know, that's kinda creepy but also really cool," Dean smirked as he leans against the wall opposite Castiel. He wiggled his fingers in the creatures direction and raised an eyebrow. "Y'know, the eye thing. I never could keep em open while I was underwater." Castiel smiled and sunk back down, keeping his eyes on Dean as the water rose to the middle of his pupil. "Ok well now it's definitely just creepy," Dean laughed and knelt down next to the tub. "So, you couldn't sleep either?"

Castiel sighed into the water making little bubbles pop near his cheeks. He straightened his back and rolled his shoulders, groaning when something popped.

"Shit, you ok?" Dean reached out and rubbed Cas' shoulder blade gently. Carrying the guy into the house took away the initial shock of touching his skin and scales pretty quick, but Dean still shivered at each touch. "Bein' cramped in this tub must suck. Used to being able to stretch out in the pool, huh?"

Castiel nodded and frowned at the water. He reached a hand behind his back and held Deans hand for a moment before directing it high on his neck.

Dean bit the inside of his cheek to hide a smile. He felt Castiel's muscles coil underneath his fingertips, gently applying pressure where shoulder met neck. "You tryin' to get a massage, Cas? I usually save those for the third date," Dean joked. He shifted onto his knees and pulled Castiel against the back of the tub to get both hands on him easier. His thumbs worked small circles around the knots in his shoulders while his fingers rested on the sides of Castiel's neck. A content hum rumbled in the back of the creatures throat when Dean pressed harder. A shimmery hand rose out of the water to grip the side of the tub as Dean applied more pressure.

"Did I hurt you?" Dean asked, watching Cas' knuckles grow white. Castiel shook his head and let out a long breath, leaning back into the touch. His hair was brushing against Dean's cheek now, tiny droplets of water transferring to the mans two day stubble. Dean grinned and dug his fingers into the side of Cas' neck, eliciting a groan from the creature. "Feel good?" Dean whispered, leaning forward so his breath ghosted across Castiel's ear. Panic and excitement ricocheted inside Dean's veins as he felt Castiel nod and lay his other hand against the nape of his neck, sending water trickling down the back of his shirt. Talons pressed ever so slightly against his flushed skin as he continued working harder over Castiel's muscular back, lowering his hands until they were sunk below the water.

Dean felt the creatures breath hitch as his wandering fingers pressed where skin met scale at Castiel's hips. His grip tightened on Dean's neck and a low moan filled the bathroom.

 _Ok, so you're about to go there_ _with a mermaid. Nothin' weird about that._

Just as the thought crossed Dean's mind, Castiel turned around in one swift movement and faced the man. His eyes were black and his mouth hung open, desperately dragging air into his lungs and _fuck if that isn't the hottest thing I've ever fucking seen._ Castiel slowly slunk forward and wrapped his arm around Deans waist, his breath hot against the mans mouth. Jet black eyes flicked down to Dean's mouth and back to his eyes before he leaned in.

The sound of Deans alarm blaring upstairs startled them both. Castiel shot back causing water to slosh over the side of the tub. The creature hung his head and avoided Dean's wide eyes.

"Shit," Dean hissed, wiping a wet hand down his face. "M'sorry, Cas. I shouldn't have---I'm sorry," he muttered before standing. He sighed heavily and crossed his arms over his chest. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Castiel turned around in the water and looked up at Dean through his lashes. Sharp teeth grazed against his lower lip as a wicked smile pulled at his lips. He raised a scaly eyebrow and slowly shook his head.

Dean covered his grin with a hand and shook his head. "You're gonna be the death of me," he whispered to himself. They stared at each other for a long minute before Dean cleared his throat and broke the spell. "I'm gonna go check the pool. It's gotta be empty by now and I'll clean it out and start filling it with water for you, alright?" Dean reached for the doorknob just as Castiel made a gargling sound in the back of his throat.

"---eeen."

Dean whipped around so fast it made his head spin. _What the fuck?_ "What the fuck?!" He immediately sunk to his knees, ignoring the water drenching his sweatpants and held the sides of Castiel's face carefully. A smile spread across the creatures face and he looked almost shy before another gargle filled the room.

"---eeann."

Dean's grip tightened as he beamed at Castiel. "Holy shit, Cas," he whispered. "That's fucking amazing. I didn't think---you've never---holy shit this is awesome!" He pulled the creature in for a crushing hug and chuckled when Castiel grunted against his chest. He felt Cas' head rest heavily on his shoulder and cool arms wrap around his waist. The gurgled pronunciation of his name chanting quietly against his neck made his skin prickle (and his eyes water, but he'll never admit that). When they finally pulled away Dean's shirt was soaked and clinging to his chest. Dean didn't miss the look on Castiel's face as the creatures eyes roamed over his body, taking in the swell of his pecks and dark nipples barely hidden by the wet shirt. Castiel swallowed hard and blushed as he turned his attention back to the tub, quickly lowering himself into the water.

Dean chuckled and poked a finger at Cas' tail playfully. "It'll be about thirty minutes, ok? You need anything before I go?" He watched Castiel open his eyes under the water. He seemed the think over the question, biting his lip before shaking his head slightly and closing his eyes again. "Ok, Cas. Be back in a while." He flicked the water directly over Castiel's face and stood with a grin before reluctantly leaving the bathroom.

Dean took the stairs two at a time up to his bedroom. He peeled off his wet pajamas and switched into a black t-shirt and jeans before bounding back down the stairs and peeking his head in to check on Castiel once more. Little bubbles popped across the surface of the water and he smiled before closing the door.

Going into the pool house without Cas being there was strange. Even the crow was hopping around the edge of the pool and eyeing the empty vessel.

"Don't worry, I'm takin' good care of him. He'll be back before you know it," he reassured the bird. _Great, now I have a relationship with a mermaid and a friggin bird. What the hell is my life?_

He lowered himself down the ladder armed with a broom and trash bags making quick work of the leaves and alarming amount of dead mice (No wonder it fucking reeked in there). He scrubbed the sides until the tiles were shining and wiped away any mud before climbing out and admiring his handy work. Dean replaced the pump with the end of a hose and watched as the pool slowly began filling. With a smile, he jogged back to the house, but stopped when he heard the rumble of a familiar truck coming down the driveway.

_Oh. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck!_

Dean stopped in his tracks and watched as his brothers black truck came to a stop in the driveway. Sam jumped down from the truck and pulled off his sunglasses, tossing them on his seat. He looked out over the lawn, squinting against the sun.

"Sam?" He watched his brother turn with a smile and walk over to him, wrapping him in a hug with his stupid long arms and shaggy hair. "What the hell are you doin' here man?" he asked in a daze as he gripped his brothers shoulder.

Sam cocked his head. "Hello to you too, jerk," he huffed, pushing Dean away playfully. "You haven't answered you phone in days, man. Thought maybe you were mauled by a wild animal out here or something." He looked over Deans shoulder and into the pool house. "Gettin' stuff cleared out?"

Dean turned and smiled at the pool. "Uh, yeah. Slowly, but yeah it's gettin' there."

Sam patted his brother on the shoulder and grinned. "It'll be faster with two of us then, huh?" He walked back to the truck and pulled out a large hunter green duffel bag.

Deans eyes widened. "What?"

"What _what_? I'm gonna stay for a while and help out, man! Looks like you're gonna need it." Sam made his way half up the porch before Dean shot into motion and followed his brother. He rounded on Sam and slammed his back against the door, trying to lean against it casually. Sweat gathered at his hairline and he reached back to rub his neck nervously.

"Uh, I don't think that's such a good idea, Sam." He glanced through the window briefly and back to his brother. "It's still pretty bad in there and I haven't gotten any of the rooms set up yet."

Sam snorted through his nose and shoved his brother out of the way. "Dean, do you forget what we _do_ for a living? We can have this place fixed up in no time."

"Sam, seriously," Dean squeaked out, watching his brother walk through the living room and into the kitchen. "It's not---" his eyes darted to the bathroom door and prayed Castiel couldn't hear, "it's not livable yet."

"And yet," Sam walked out of the kitchen and towards the stairs which happened to be right fucking next to the downstairs bathroom, "you're living here. Is there a reason you don't want me to help out, Dean?"

A loud splash came from the bathroom and Dean kept his eyes trained on his brother, pretending not to hear it.

"What was that?" Sam asked, walking towards the door.

_Fuck._

"Jesus, Dean, you already have a chick in here?" Sam hissed.

_Double fuck._

"N--no."

Sam threw his brother a classic bitch face and reached for the door handle. "Ok. Then you wouldn't mind if I looked in here. Right?"

"Don't!" Dean shouted and gripped his brothers wrist so hard his knuckles turned white. "Just----don't Sam. Please."

Sighing in defeat, Sam let go of the door and shook loose from his brothers death grip. "Fuck, Dean. Fine," he grumbled, rubbing a hand over his wrist.

Dean let out a long breath and closed his eyes. "Thanks, he sighed in relief. "If you're set on staying you can take one of the rooms upstairs. I gotta go into town later and----"

Everything after that happens in slow motion.

The next thing Dean sees his is brother whipping the bathroom door open, the sound of it banging against the wall echoed in the house. Dean reached out to grab the handle but it was too late. Sams eyes widened in horror as he looked into the room.

Castiel was already out of the water, balancing tall on his thick tail still in the tub. Water poured off his body and pooled on the floor beneath him, his scales glittering in the morning light. His usual blue eyes were pure black and his shoulders hunched forward. Pulling his lips back in a vicious snarl, he bared his razor sharp fangs in a clear threat. An ear shattering screech filled the house just before Castiel lunged at Sam.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor Sam.  
> Descriptions of merman dick.
> 
> Also, longer chapter because if I stop, my friggin mind will kill me.  
> I hope y'all like the ending of this chapter because I've been dyyyyying for it.  
> Also also, cliffhanger. Sorry not sorry.

_This can't be happening. This isn't real._

Dean is in a haze. His brain is trying to make sense of what his eyes are seeing, but it can't. Because what he _sees_ is Castiel pinning his brother to the floor. His heavy tail wound around Sams' legs, holding them stock still, while his talons are dangerously close to piercing the skin of his shoulders. His mouth open and snarling, razor sharp teeth snapping at Sams' face and neck while the man underneath struggles to throw him off.

"Dean! Fucking DO SOMETHING!" Sam shouted, holding Castiel as far away as he can. His jaw is clenched and his thumbs are dug into the soft spot of Castiel's collar bones as he screamed. "DEAN!"

Without thinking, Dean stumbled forward and gripped Castiel's shoulders, pulling so his back was arched painfully. "Stop," he barely whispered. _It's a dream. Wake up._ "S-stop, Cas. Cas!" Dean's fingers grip the creature hard as his mind catches up with the situation at hand. Castiel snapped at Sam's fingers, now around his throat, thrashing violently as Dean awkwardly put himself between Castiel and his brother. He can feel his heart racing in his chest and the heave of Castiel's chest. _This isn't a dream._ "Fucking stop, Castiel!" He gripped the creatures face and held it tight, staring into his black unfocused eyes. "It's Sam! My brother! He isn't going to hurt you but I will if you don't back the fuck off!"

Castiel's eyes finally focused and Dean vaguely registered the thump of Sam's body hitting the floor when Castiel let go of his shirt. His brows knit together in confusion as Dean hauled him up off the floor and dragged him back towards the bathroom.

"Dean, what the FUCK!" Sam shouted as he collected himself off the ground. "What is that _thing_?"

"Hey!" Dean whipped around and pointed a finger at his brother. "He's not a _thing._ Just---stay put. Don't fucking move and I'll explain everything in a minute. I just gotta---" he looked towards Castiel who was hauling himself over into the tub. "Just fucking wait," he shouted before slamming the bathroom door.

Dean turned the lever on the tub and watched the water through hazy eyes. He mindlessly tore towels off the rack next to the medicine cabinet and tossed them on the floor, kicking them around to mop up the water. He ran a hand down his face and sighed heavily.

"Dean?"

Dean let his hand drop to his side with a slap, looking down at the creature. His hair was disheveled and there were bruises forming where Sam had his fingers dug into his shoulders _but holy shit Cas just said my name for the first time._

"Jesus Christ, Cas," Dean sighed as he lowered himself to the floor. He wanted to kiss the frown off his perfect mouth and tell him how proud of him he was, but _First things first._ "You can't----Cas, hey, lookit me man." He reached out and tilted the creatures face towards his own. His eyes were back to their normal, ridiculously unfair blue. "You can't go around attacking people. That's my brother. He's my family."

Castiel nodded solemnly. "---mily." His eyes watered briefly before scooping up water in his hands and wiping it over his face.

"Yeah," Dean smiled, "family. He ain't gonna hurt you. Just like me, Bobby and Ellen. Now, he definitely doesn't understand jack shit about what's goin' on with us-- _is there an us? Nope, table that for later--_ but you can trust me, ok? Sam's one'a the good ones." Dean reached over and turned the faucet off as Castiel nodded lightly and looked towards the door. The light was blocked out from Sam's pacing on the other side of the door. Dean groaned, letting his head fall on the edge of the tub. "I gotta go talk to him," he whispered. He jumped a bit at the feeling of a cool hand run through his hair and down his neck. Smiling to himself, Dean lifted his head and reached up to hold Cas' hand. Without thinking, he brought the creatures palm to his lips and kissed it gently before nuzzling into the cold skin. "Is it ok if I tell him your deal? With the witches and shit I mean. I can leave out the---your family stuff, I won't tell him everything, but I kinda have some explaining to do."

Castiel frowned as he watched Dean thread his fingers through his own. The contrast of warm and cool skin made him shiver, the water in the tub rippling from his movement. He squeezed Dean's fingers gently and nodded.

"Yeah? You're ok with it?" Dean smiled brightly.

"Mhmm," Castiel hummed, smiling back at Dean.

"Gotta say, Cas, I'm really fuckin' happy you're starting to talk. Gonna make conversations with ya a _lot_ easier." He kissed Castiel's hand softly before lowering it into the water and standing. "I'll be back in a while. You know what to do if you need anything right?"

Castiel rolled his eyes and slapped his tail hard in the water making it splash over the side.

Dean found Sam standing in the dining room. He was leaned up against the counter top with his arms crossed staring daggers at the closed door behind his brother.

"Sam---"

"What the _fuck_ Dean?" Sam hissed. "What---what is that---who is----Dean, what the fuck!"

"I know ok! Just----come on," Dean grabbed his brother and hauled him towards the back porch, mentally reminding himself that he still needs to fix the screen door. Sam stomped over to the railing and braced his hands against it, bending at the waist while taking a deep breath. "Listen, it's fucked up, I get it. You should'a seen me the first time I laid eyes on Cas," he joked. Sam's head whipped around.

"Cas? _Cas?_ That----thing has a name?"

Dean stepped forward quickly, grinding the muscle in his jaw. "I _told_ you. He's not a thing and I swear to God, Sammy, if you call him that one more time---" he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "He said I could tell you everything, so I'm gonna. Si'down."

"So, it's all...real?" Sam took a long pull from the beer Dean handed him at the beginning of the weirdest conversation he's ever been part of. "Witches, ghosts, and werewolves? What the hell?" He pushed the hair our of his eyes and sighed, staring down at the cracks in the old wooden porch. "And this guy, Bob, he---"

"Bobby," Dean corrected.

"Yeah, Bobby. He just---what---taught you all this stuff?"

Dean nodded. "Yep. Him and Ellen. They're good people. Guess there's always been monsters in the world but people like Bobby 'n Ellen take care of em before they do too much damage."

Sam swirled his beer bottle across his knee and snorted a laugh. "This is like a movie or some shit. I can't believe it's real." Sam looked up at his brother with his eyebrows raised. "You think Bobby'd let me take a look at the books he showed you?"

Dean coughed on a gulp of his beer, staring wide eyed at his brother. "So," he cleared his throat, "let me get this straight. I tell you everything that goes bump in the night is real and you wanna, what? Do a book report on it? I knew you were a nerd, man but c'mon."

Sam shrugged and took a sip of his beer. "It's fucking crazy," he said, pointing the bottle at his brother, "but seriously, Dean. You tell me all this and expect me to _not_ want to look into it?"

Dean shook his head. "I guess so. I mean I can ask Bobby, I don't think he'd mind. Ellen though? She's a tough fuckin' cookie to crack, I still don't think she likes me but I can introduce you to em. Speaking of," Dean jerked his head towards the pool house. "She's probably filled up by now and I know Cas is itchin' to spread his fins. He's been in that tub for too damn long. You uh---you wanna head over and I'll bring Cas out? I can properly introduce you. I promise he won't go straight for your throat this time." He punched his brothers shoulder playfully.

Sam stared at his brother for a long moment before rolling his eyes. "Your life is so fucking weird," he muttered before walking down the porch and towards the pool house.

Dean grunted as he lowered himself to the pool house floor. He let Castiel slip gently out of his arms and guide himself into the clean water.

"Heavy mother fucker," Dean grinned as he walked over to his brother who was sitting in a wrought iron chair in the corner. Sam's head whipped around when he heard the crow caw from it's perch in the corner of the room. Dean shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. They watched silently as Castiel swam smoothly underneath the water, darting back and forth and flicking his tail. "Isn't he awesome?" Dean sighed as Castiel shot out of the water and flipped mid air. "He's like a fucking dolphin, only way hotter." He chuckled to himself when he caught Castiel smiling back at him.

Sam cocked his head and stared at his brother. "Are you---" he glanced to Castiel and back to Dean. "Tell me you aren't----how do you even---"

"Jesus Christ, Sam, no!" Dean shoved his brothers shoulder as he leaned against the mural wall. "Besides, I think he's junkless. But I mean, come on, _look_ at him."

Castiel swam from the opposite end of the pool slowly towards the brothers. His skin glittered under the water, the muscles coiling in his tail as he spun in a small circle before surfacing. Water dripped from his hair as he pulled himself to the edge of the pool and smiled at the brothers. Dean walked over and crouched next to him and chuckled when Castiel shook his head, spraying him with cold water.

"You like it?" Dean nodded towards the pool.

Castiel reached his hand out and gripped Dean's thigh gently. "Yes," he answered in a rumbling gargle.

"Fuck," Dean whispered, admiring the way Cas' eyes sparkled in the sunlight. _I'm a fucking goner._ Sam cleared his throat and Dean swiveled on his heel. "Right, uh, Cas? I'd like to formally introduce my brother Sam."

Castiel let his grip slide from Dean's thigh, leaving behind a perfect watery hand print. Sam knelt down next to his brother and reached out his hand with a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Castiel." Castiel frowned as he shook Sam's hand, his eyes darting back and forth between the brothers. "Hey, it's ok, man," Sam reassured, "I uh, I feel kinda responsible for all that," he waved his hand towards the house. "Shouldn't have startled you like that. Sorry for those, too," Sam frowned, pointing at the bruises on Cas' collar bone.

Castiel shook his head and pointed at himself. "Sor---" he cleared his throat and tapped a talon against his chest.

Sam glanced to Dean who's smile didn't match his eyes. "He can't really talk, but we're workin' on it," he whispered to his brother. He looked at Castiel fondly and reached a hand out to rest on the creatures shoulder. "I'm sorry, Cas is sorry, Sam's sorry. We're all sorry, right?" Castiel and Sam nodded and Dean sighed. "Good. Great. Now that all that bullshit's out of the way can we move on?" Castiel snorted a laugh and flicked his tail, spraying the brothers with cold water.

"Hey!" Sam shouted, wiping water from his face with a grin. "No wonder you like him, Dean. He's an ass just like you," Sam chuckled and knocked his shoulder against his brothers.

After hanging out in the pool house for a while, Sam and Dean let Castiel have the place to himself while they went to eat. Castiel rolled his eyes when Dean asked him if he wanted a goldfish from the local pet store to munch on while they were out, earning him a soaked shirt.

Dean changed quickly and hopped into the Impala, glancing at the pool house one last time before pulling out of the driveway. He tilted the rear view mirror and glanced at it every few seconds until his house was a speck on the horizon.

"Jesus, Dean, it's like you're letting your kid stay home alone for the first time," Sam sighed.

"I haven't. Not since I found him in there. Feels---" Dean shifted in his seat and gripped the wheel tight, "feels weird just leaving him."

"Dean, he's been alone for fifty years, I think a couple hours will be alright." Sam watched his brothers mouth pull into a frown. "Christ, you got it bad, huh?"

Dean ran a hand down his face and stared at the road. "Yeah, Sammy, I think I do."

"Bobby, this is my baby brother Sam." Dean kicked off his boots as Sam shook the older mans hand.

"Nice to meet you," Sam smiled.

Bobby eyed Sam for a minute and snorted. "Baby brother? He's three feet taller 'n you, boy. C'mon in, Ellen made lunch." Bobby led them into the dining room where Ellen was setting the table with plates and napkins. "Ell, this is Sam, Dean's brother."

Dean crossed his arms and waited for the infamous Ellen scowl.

"Well hey'a honey, I'm Ellen," she beamed, reaching up to hug Sam around his neck. "Come on in, si'down. I made sandwiches and fruit salad, that alright?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Sam smiled as he slipped into a dining room chair.

 _What in the holy hell?_ "So what? You just immediately like him better'in me, Ellen? I got a scowl for a week straight!"

Bobby chuckled as he handed Sam a glass of sweet tea. "Didn't help that you were short with her the first time ya met. I remember you givin' a little sass when she asked ya 'bout the house."

Dean flopped down into the chair next to his brother and scoffed when Sam smiled around his glass. "Yeah, alright."

"Surprised you left Castiel home alone, Dean." Ellen smirked as she set a sandwich in front of him and patted his shoulder.

"You should'a seen him try to pull out of the driveway," Sam muttered into his glass. He took a long sip and grinned. "Looked like he was leavin'---"

"Yeah yeah yeah," Dean smacked his brother in the chest with the back of his hand. "Let's all laugh at the guy who likes the mermaid." Dean crossed his arms and pouted like a toddler. The room erupted in laughter and Dean threw his hands in the air. "Oh please! Like you haven't seen 'im. All shiny and blue eyed. The dudes hot. And you all suck," he mumbled as he took a bite of his sandwich.

"It's not surprising really," Sam mumbled around a strawberry. "When we were kids he had a crush on Cheetara."

"I told you that in confidence," Dean hissed. "Least I didn't have a thing for Smurfette."

"Alright boys, enough bickering," Ellen chided. "So, Sam, Dean says you were interested in lookin' at some of the books we have?"

Sam grinned around his mouthful of fruit. "Yes, ma'am." He swallowed and wiped his mouth on a napkin.

"He's a nerd," Dean snorted. "Always loved readin' and learnin' new stuff. There were more books than toys in his room when we were little."

Ellen reached across the table and patted Sam's hand. "Ain't nothin' wrong with that. Someone had to get the brains in the family I guess."

Dean leaned back in his chair with a huff and stared at the ceiling.

Dean pulled into his driveway a few hours later, sans his brother. Sam wanted to stay and absorb every bit of information the books could offer since Bobby and Ellen didn't let them leave the property. Bobby promised to return him home later on in the evening with dinner for both boys.

Before Baby was even fully stopped, Dean threw her in park and hopped out of the car. He headed directly for the pool house and shoved the doors open.

_Fucking hell_

Castiel was floating on top of the water, his skin shining in the afternoon sun. Little lights danced across the surface of the water and the windows, making them look like stained glass. His eyes were closed and the expression on his face was pure bliss. Little crinkles formed at the corner of his eyes as his smile widened.

"Dean."

_Double fucking hell_

Dean almost fell to his knees hearing Castiel say his name. The strange sound in his throat was now clear and gravely (but in the sexy way). Dean could almost envision what it might've sounded like when he was human and it made his head swim.

"Hey Cas," he responded with a shaky breath. "Don't think I'll ever get used to hearing you talk." He lowered himself down to the pool and hiked up his pants. Castiel popped open an eye and watched Dean take off his socks and boots before plunging his feet into the cool water. "Holy shit that feels good. Been wanting to try this baby out for a while now," he sighed. "Never had a pool growin' up. Me and Sammy used to spray each other with the hose but that's about it."

Castiel hummed thoughtfully as he waded his way over to Dean. He watched Dean watch him, smiling when his tail fin floated up to wrap around Dean's ankle. He narrowed his eyes and gave an experimental tug.

Dean scowled down at Castiel and tightened his grip on the edge of the pool. "Don't you dare," he warned.

Castiel bit his lower lip and smiled up at Dean through his wet lashes.

"Cas--" was all he got out before he was pulled roughly into the pool. Castiel let his ankle slip free and shot back to the opposite end of the pool with a smile on his face. Dean shot up out of the water sputtering and cursing. He whipped his head to the side, shooting water over the tiles before glaring at the smug creature staring at him. "You think you're funny don't ya?" Dean growled. He held Castiel's gaze as he reached behind his back and peeled his shirt over his head, tossing it aside to land with a _splat_ on the floor. Dean stalked forward, the water raising over his chest inch by inch until just his shoulders were out of the water. His lip quirked into a smile before he dove under water, heading straight for Cas.

Castiel's eyes widened a fraction before he composed himself, slipping through the water and easily avoiding Dean's gasp. Dean's head popped up through the water with a scowl. "Yeah yeah, I get it. You're faster." Castiel raised an eyebrow and licked a drop of water off his lower lip. With a flick of his tail he was in Dean's personal space, his breath washing over the mans face. Dean felt arms wrap around his waist and Castiel's thick tail slide between his legs, helping keep him afloat in the deep water.

"Faster," Castiel whispered, his eyes bouncing from Dean's eyes to his mouth.

Dean barely held back the groan bubbling in his chest as Castiel hiked his tail higher between his legs. His hands rested on the creatures hips, rubbing gentle fingers over the scales there.

"Cas," he whispered as he felt the arms around him tighten.

"Dean."

_Fuck it_

Dean's hands shot out of the water and gripped the sides of Castiel's face, pulling him close enough that he could almost taste the water on his skin. He let his fingers glide through Cas' dripping hair, breath hitching when Castiel moaned at the sensation. Before he could second guess himself, Dean felt Castiel's body curl around his, pulling him in until their lips finally met. He gripped the back of Castiel's neck and moaned into the kiss, rocking his still clothed hips into Cas' scaly ones.

Castiel's mouth parted and Dean felt a tongue slide across his lower lip. He tightened his grip almost painfully in Cas' hair, breaking the kiss by pulling his head back _and fuck if that wasn't the stupidest thing to do._ Castiel's eyes were jet black, his lips kiss swollen and slick. His chest was heaving and his talons were scratching at the denim fabric covering Dean's thighs.

"Do it," Dean whispered with a nod. Castiel grunted as he flapped his tail hard, darting them both to the edge of the pool. He bracketed Dean's body with his own, shoving him against the tiles with a thud and holding him up with his tail. Reaching down, Castiel let his talons pop the button of Dean's jeans. With one nail on either side of his hips, Castiel sliced down Dean's hips carefully, shredding the thick fabric like scissors through paper. Dean's breath caught in his throat when he felt a sharp nail glide its way back up and poke into his hip.

Dean captured Castiel's lips in a wet, searing kiss as he continued removing his jeans.

"Dean," Castiel moaned as he gripped one of Dean's hands and sunk it under the water.

Dean gasped and bit down on Cas' lip when he felt fingers brush something smooth. He looked between them through the rippling water and was moaned at the sight.

_Not junkless, then. Good to know._

His hand slipped around Castiel's hard cock, feeling bulbous head slide over his palm. A whine escaped Castiel's throat and his grip on Dean's hip tightened painfully.

"I got ya, Cas," Dean promised, immediately stroking him and rocking his hips into him. He felt Castiel slip his hand under his boxers, carefully gripping his cock. "You ain't gonna hurt me, Cas." Dean growled, jerking his hips forward. "C'mon, baby." Capturing Castiel's lips in another kiss, they stroked each other quickly, groaning and panting into each others mouths.

"Dean," Castiel panted, his back arching. "D--Dean."

"That's it, fuck," Dean moaned as Castiel let a talon slide down his shaft. "M'close too, baby. Fuck, Cas---"

Dean fucked into Castiel's fist as he watched white spurts of come shoot out and float to the surface. "Shit---shit, fuck---" Dean crushed his mouth against Castiel's and moaned, coming when Castiel twisted his hand over the head of his cock.

For a while the only sound was the water lapping against the side of the pool and their own panting. Castiel released his grip on Dean's hip and clicked tsked when he saw the marks he'd left. Dean looked down and smirked.

"S'ok Cas. Kinda like it," he smiled, running his fingertips over the indentation his talon left. Reaching up, Dean pulled Castiel in for a slow, soft kiss, running his thumb gently over his cheek.

Something rough stuck to the pad of his thumb and rolled up into a ball under his touch. Dean pulled away gently and removed his hand, inspecting the foreign object. His eyes widened when he looked at his hand, then to Castiel's face.

Castiel cocked his head to the side and stared back. "Dean?"Dean swallowed hard and slowly held up his hand, palm up.

There, covering Dean's hand, were the tiny scales that used to be on Castiel's face, solid black and dull.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is it. This chapter kicked. my. assssssss. I'm sorry it took so long to write but were getting into the interesting stuff now!  
> Also, a special thank you to a certain commenter that always keeps me going- you know who you are and you're amazing <3

"An---and--yeah, it just came off." Dean held out his hand to Bobby, revealing colorless scales.

"Alright, and?" Bobby asked with raised eyebrows. "Hardly seems like a reason to call me all panicked and hollerin' about Castiel _dying."_ The old man huffed and turned his head over his shoulder. Ellen was crouched down by Castiel and smiling. _Must be she likes everyone cept for me._ Her gentle fingers ran over the scales on his shoulder and brushed away stray ones that were still shedding.

"I didn't say he was dying, Bobby. It just---it freaked me the fuck out, ok? I'm brand-spankin'-new to all this supernatural shit and," Dean huffed and clenched his fist around the scales. "I just---" Dean watched Castiel as he gargled happily to Ellen. He smiled briefly at Dean before looking at Ellen and whispering "Dean" with a talon pointed at him. Ellen nodded and patted his face with a soft smile. 

Bobby's eyes lit up, glancing back and forth between Dean and the creature. He rolled his eyes and groaned. "Oh you've gotta be shittin' me. First the married real estate agent, now a mermaid?" Dean's eyes widened and his mouth fell open, failing in defending himself. "Small town, son."

"I didn't---Lisa and I never---"

"I know, Dean," Bobby said with an exasperated sigh. He watched Ellen brush her hands off on her pants before walking over. "What's the verdict?"

Ellen scowled at Dean and crossed her arms over her chest. "What'd you do to that poor thing?"

 _I swear if one more person calls Cas a thing---_ "I didn't do shit to him, Ellen. We were---I was---" Dean sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "We were playin' around. Cas pulled me in the water, things got," his eyes bounced from Bobby to Ellen before staring at the wet tiles on the floor, blush rising to his cheeks and ears, "things got a little heated and---after," he waved a hand towards the pool, "he started shedding."

"Heated as in?" Ellen pressed.

"As in amorous," Bobby murmured.

Ellen's jaw clenched as he stared at Dean. She took a deep breath and sighed, looking back towards Castiel. "Doesn't seem like anything's wrong with him, 'sides from the shedding. How long's he been talking?"

"Few days, I guess? Been getting clearer every time he says something. Usually it's just my name or," Dean cleared his throat, "uh...he said 'faster' earlier." He raised his hand in defense when Ellen took a step forward. "Before you beat the shit outta me, he was sayin' he could _swim_ faster than me, not whatever it is you're thinkin."

"Well, doesn't seem like a bad thing to me," Bobby shrugged. "Just cause he's losing some scales doesn't mean anything's wrong. Think you panicked for nothin', boy. Thanks for dragging us out here and puttin' images my head I'll never be able to get rid of."

Bobby and Ellen waved to Castiel before they left the pool house, whispering to each other along the way. Dean walked over to his brother who was sitting in the iron chair staring at a book.

"What the hell, man? They let you keep one?" Dean plucked it out of Sams hand and looked at the cover. There was an engraved symbol on the front of the book with different colored sticky tabs popping out of the book. _Nerd._

"I don't know what to tell you man, I guess they just like me better," Sam joked taking the book back. "There's a lot of cool stuff in here about sirens. I don't think that's exactly what Cas is but they kind of look alike." Sam flipped a few pages and pointed at a black and white picture to Dean. There was a male and a female half human climbed up onto a rock talking to a sailor that was hanging over the side of a boat.

Dean read a few sentences and his eyes widened. "This says they lure people tell their deaths. Cas hasn't done anything like that."

"I know that Dean. I'm just saying there might be something in here about what's going on with him right now but I haven't found anything yet."

"Well, keep reading I'm gonna go fix us something to eat." Dean smiled at Castiel before heading down the walkway to the house. _Really need to get rid of that fuckin' tree_. He walked into the kitchen and brace himself against the counter and let out a deep sigh. The past week had been a goddamn whirlwind and he barely had a minute to breathe. The house was put on the back burner for now while he dealt with Castiel. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Sam was here to help, but seriously _What. Is. My. Life?_

After Dean calmed himself down, he rummaged through the fridge trying to figure out what to make for lunch and decided on sandwiches. He made three turkey sandwiches with lettuce and tomato. _What the hell, maybe Castiel wants one._ He's becoming more human everyday maybe his appetite will return too. Dean grabbed a couple beers out of the fridge and balanced the plates on his arms as he walked back towards the pool house. Sam met him at the door with wide eyes and a bright smile spread across his face.

"What's up?" Dean asked handing his brother one of the plates.

"Dude, Castiel said my name!" Sam ushered his brother into the pool house and set his plate on the floor before crouching down next to Castiel. "Can you say it again?" Sam asked quietly.

Castiel smiled up at Dean as he raised his arm out of the water and pointed at his brother. "Sam," he whispered.

Dean's throat bobbed as he nodded. _Jesus Christ this guy is killin' me. "_ Well hot damn Cas, you're just getting better everyday." He knelt down next to Sam and knocked his shoulder before turning back to Castiel. "I made you a sandwich. I don't know if you want it or whatever but I thought---" Dean shrugged as he handed Castiel the plate.

Castiel carefully took the plate and held it up to his nose, sniffing it lightly. He poked at the bread with a finger before pulling out the tomato, holding it between his pointer and thumb talons. He scrunched his nose and held it up to Dean, a silent plea to get rid of it.

"Got it. Don't like tomatoes," Dean chuckled as he took the tomato and popped it into his mouth. The brothers sat and watched Castiel pick apart the sandwich and then put it back together again before taking a hesitant bite. His sharp fangs sunk easily through the bread and meat as a happy sound rumbled in his chest.

"Like it?" Sam asked around a mouthful of his lunch.

Castiel nodded quickly. He swallowed and licked his lips. "Good," he muttered. "Very good." He reached a hand up and squeezed Deans ankle. "Thank you."

"You're welcome Cas," Dean murmured, reaching down and laying his hand over Castiel's. His finger traced over the dull looking scales on the creatures hand frowned when one slid off.

Sam cleared his throat as he set his plate down. "So, uh, Dean. You wanna work on the house tonight? I got all my tools in the truck. That upstairs bedroom could be cleared out and ready for me to sleep in tonight if we get goin' on it."

Dean picked at the scale absentmindedly, his eyes traveling up Castiel's arm and wondering what ones would come off next. Only a few patches of skin were shining in the light and casting a pale green light across the top of the water, the rest was smooth and tan.

"Dean?"

"Yeah?" Dean answered quietly, his arm sliding up to Castiel's elbow.

"The house? You want to---"

"Yeah. Yeah fine, whatever," Dean huffed, smiling briefly at Castiel. He held out his hand to take Castiel's plate, and bit the inside of his cheek when he felt Castiel brush his fingers across the back of his hand. Castiel nodded to the brothers before pushing off the edge of the pool and sinking down into the water. "No swimming for thirty minutes after you eat," Dean shouted playfully before he shut the door.

Sam glanced at his brother every three damn seconds on the walk back to the house.

"Dean---"

"I don't wanna hear it, Sam." He shoved the back door open and let it smack against the outside wall.

"Hear what? That you're falling for a mermaid? I mean, this is---this is crazy!"

"Is it?" Dean yelled, throwing his hands up in the air. "Why? Cuz it's a guy?"

Sam's eyes widened. "You really think that matters to me? No, Jesus, Dean it's not because Castiel is a _guy._ It because he's---Dean, how're you supposed to have a relationship with someone who has to be in water for the rest of his life? And from the look of him, he doesn't age. He's---he'll be around for a really long time, long after Bobby 'n Ellen and you and me are gone. From what I can tell, the curse made him immortal. We'll die one day, he won't. Are you alright with that? Leaving him here alone when your time comes?"

Dean turned his back on his brother and walked over to the fireplace, kicking at the soot on the bricks. "What do you think I should do then, Sam? Forget I ever saw him? Board up the pool house and pretend he's not in there?" He gripped the mantle hard, his knuckles turning white. "I can't fucking do that," he whispered.

Sam sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "All I'm saying, Dean, is you gotta start thinkin' about this stuff if you plan on---you know, _being_ with him. And if you are, I'll support you one hundred percent, you know I will. But there's a lot to consider going into this."

Dean huffed through his nose, disturbing the dust on the mantle. "Yeah," he grumbled. "Yeah ok, Sammy. I get it."

The rest of the night was spend with Sam upstairs cleaning out a bedroom he deemed semi livable.

Dean on the other hand? Dean spent hours making a non load bearing wall his bitch. His hands ached and were calloused from gripping the sledge hammer a little too tight for five hours. His brothers words were eating at the back of his brain and sitting in his gut like a stone. _He's right, goddamn it. He's always fucking right._ He wasn't ready to give Castiel up, he couldn't. He wasn't ready to declare his love or anything, but there was something about Castiel that called to him. _Maybe he was a siren after all._

Dean dropped the sledge hammer on the floor, his chest and arms burning with overexertion. He let himself fall to his knees, palms blistering against his thighs. He needed a shower. He needed a fucking beer. He needed---

"Dean!" Sam's footsteps pounded down the stairs and through the hallway until he rounded the corner into the living room. His shoulders were tense and his eyes were wild. "Why the hell aren't you answering your phone? Bobby's been tryin' to call you."

Dean gestured towards the rubble around him. "Little busy here, Sam," Dean breathed out. "What's he want?" He groaned as he pulled himself to his feet.

"Bobby said---there's somethin' happening in town. People are dying. Horribly."

Dean's head whipped to his brother. "How? What's doin' it? Did Bobby say---"

"Dean," Sam said quietly as he walked up to his brother, "it's them. It's the ones who did this to Castiel."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since you've all been so damn patient with me and my chaotic uploading schedule- Surprise!! HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER!!
> 
> I'm so excited for this one guys! I had an epiphany late last night. I yelled "Oh my God I get it now!!!" from my bathroom because my brain likes to keep secrets from me when I'm writing.  
> If you don't know, I never write out a story before I post it. I have a general idea on how I want it to go and just let the story tell itself.
> 
> Also, for my sweet NoRest4Me- I mayyyy have used part of your last comment in this chapter. See if you can find it <3
> 
> Thank you to my bestie Paige for the "next morning" part! I couldn't have done it without you!!

The summer when Dean was a sixteen year old heart breaker, his father took him and Sammy to the lake for a mini vacation. They'd fish and have bonfires. There were days when Dean laid out in the sun for too long and turned into a giant freckle. There were nights when he'd sneak into the cute neighbor girls tent and have some fun. His favorite part though was when a fish swam it's way up into Sam's trunks and screamed so loud all the other cabin renters flung their doors open looking for what _must_ be a serial killer on the loose judging by the shriek that came out of his mouth. Dean likes thinking back on those days. When he's stressed out he can see it so clearly in his mind, almost feel the cool water from the lake drying on his overheated skin. It's his happy place.

Reality is giving him the mother of all bitch slaps right now, because as hard as he's trying, he can't smell the bonfire smoke or hear Sam gagging while he's trying to bait a hook with a wriggly worm.

No. Right now, Dean is standing in front of his brother with his jaw practically on the floor because there are legitimate fucking witches wandering the town he's chosen to live in, probably looking for the merman he kinda-sorta (definitely) has a thing for. For the millionth time Dean wonders what the fuck his life as turned into and how it got this way.

Sam. He blames Sam. He's the dumbass that showed him this listing and knew damn well Dean wouldn't be able to pass it up. What with the garage he's yet to step foot in, a pool he's only used once because there's a creature in it, and a wide open kitchen he'd love to make four course meals in but is only used for sandwiches and a shit ton of beer.

So yeah, it's Sam's fucking fault.

"Did you hear a word I just said?" Sam all but shrieks.

Dean is pulled back to the shit storm that is his life and wipes the back of his hand across his forehead. "Yup."

"Alright. And?"

"And what, Sam? I ain't a fucking hunter like Bobby 'n Ellen! What exactly do you expect me to do about it?"

Sam's jaw clenched as he shook his head. "Unbelievable. You know---" Sam pointed across the room, "Castiel is out there right now in danger, and you're just---what? Gonna hole up in here and keep working on the house instead of _doing_ something? People are DYING, Dean."

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose hard. "Bobby comin'?"

Sam relaxed minutely. "They're on their way. We're gonna come up with a plan."

"Ok, then why the hell are you standin' here yellin' at me in my own damn house?" Dean shouted. "Can't do anything til the actual fucking hunters get here, Sam!" Dean brushed his hands off on his jeans and hissed at the pain. His boots stomped across the floor and flung the front door open.

"Where are you going?" Sam yelled.

"To get Cas!"

When Dean entered the pool house the crow was back, pecking away at it's nest. It let out a sharp screech as Dean approached a nervous looking Castiel.

"Dean. S'wrong? Heard yelling." Castiel pulled himself up over the edge of the pool and reached out a dripping hand.

Dean knelt down next to him and cupped his face. "Heya, Cas. So, Bobby called. Uh---I don't know how to tell you this but---" he sighed heavily, watching water drip down Castiel's shoulder where a whole mess of scales used to be. "He thinks their back. The ones that did this to you."

Castiel went rigid and backed away from the edge of the pool while shaking his head. "No. No no-no-no-no." His eyes widened as he sunk lower into the water.

"Hey, hey it's alright. We're gonna take care of it. But for now, I need you to come inside with me ok? I know you don't really like the tub but I need to be able to keep an eye on you." Castiel backed further away from Dean as he wrapped his arms around his stomach. "Cas, come on," Dean pleaded, reaching out his hand. Castiel wasn't even registering that Dean was talking to him, he was lost in panic, so Dean took matters into his own hands. He stripped off his pants quickly and jumped into the pool, wading carefully over to Castiel. He held out a hand and let it skim across the water until it bumped into Castiel's arm.

"Gonna kill me. Kill you," Castiel's breath hitched on the last word as he looked into Dean's eyes. 

"Hey," Dean whispered, pulling Castiel in close and wrapping his arms around him, "nothin's gonna happen to you. I won't let it." He ran his hands gently over the creatures back as he trembled against him. "Let's get you into the house, yeah? Bobby and Ellen will be here soon and we'll figure out what to do next."

After he carried an almost catatonic Castiel into the house, avoiding his brothers wide eyes, Dean placed him into the tub and turned on the faucet. Castiel was staring at the wall and making quiet gurgling noises in the back of his throat.

"Hey," Dean dipped his hand into the water and rested where Cas' thigh would be. "Don't do that. Use your words, man."

Castiel sighed and leaned over the edge of the tub, resting his head on Dean's shoulder. "My fault. Should---should've died instead."

Dean felt his heart drop into his stomach as he felt Castiel shake against him. "No. No, Cas. No one should've died, 'specially not you or your family. We'll stop those evil son of bitches---technical term by the way---so this never happens again. I swear." He held Castiel and rocked him gently, the sound of the water lapping against the tub soothing them. When Castiel finally pulled away, he looked up at Dean with red watery eyes.

"Sam?"

Dean cocked his head to the side. "He's here, he's alright."

"Mad at me?" he asked, his throat bobbing nervously.

"Cas no one's---"

"No," Sam answered quietly as he stepped into the room. "Absolutely not, Castiel. This isn't your fault by any means." He knelt down next to his brother and shook his head. "Bobby and Ellen, me and Dean---we care about you. We'd never blame you for what those witches are doing. Bobby told us you were a hunter, yeah? The way I see it, you were doing something good for this world. You were protecting people, now it's our turn to protect you."

And goddamn if Sam said the words Dean couldn't come up with. It made him a little (ok alot) jealous that he didn't say those comforting things to Castiel, but at least someone did. He bumped his knee against Sam's and mouthed _thank you._

Castiel gave Sam a soft smile and nodded. "Thank you, Sam. Thank you, Dean."

And yeah, ok, so maybe this isn't the time to go all hot for creature, but Dean couldn't help but hear the gravel of Castiel's human voice rumble through his chest. Sue him, he's got a hot dude soaking wet in his tub with a voice like sex, he's allowed his own private thoughts even if they are poorly timed.

The front door whipped open hard, banging against the wall. Sam spun on his heel and grabbed at the side of his boot as he crouched behind the bathroom door. Dean put himself between the door and Castiel, a firm hand gripping the creatures shoulder.

"Boys?" Ellen called out.

A collective sigh filled the bathroom as Bobby poked his head in the bathroom. "The hell ya'll doin' in here, each others makeup? Git on out here and help us."

Dean released his grip on Castiel's arm and apologized when he saw the red hand print rising on his skin. He turned to his brother who was wiping hair out of his eyes and looked down at his hand.

"Sammy what the hell?" He reached over and yanked his brothers wrist towards him. "Where'd you get that?" He was holding a long serrated knife with something engraved into the blade.

Sam bit his lip and jerked his head towards the living room. "Ellen gave it to me the other day. Supposed to kill bad things I guess?" he shrugged.

"So what? You're a hunter now?" Dean almost shrieked.

Sam sheathed the knife back in his boot before standing up. "I dunno," he muttered.

"Oh hell no. Cas, I'll be right back." Without thinking, Dean leaned in and kissed Castiel briefly on the lips before standing and facing his brother. "You are _not_ becoming a hunter! Are you crazy?"

Sam stared at his brother with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. "Uhh," he glanced between his brother and Castiel. "You just---"

Dean's face flushed immediately. He glanced at Castiel who was smiling. "Shut up," he muttered as he shoved his brother out of the room.

"Bout time," Ellen grunted as she hoisted a black duffel bag onto the dining room table.

"Who's bright idea was it to try and turn my brother into a hunter?" Dean demanded.

Bobby and Ellen shared a look. "Last I checked, Sam was a grown ass man and can make his own decisions," Ellen said. "He's real smart, quick learner. He'd be of some real use around here." Sam beamed at Ellen who winked at him. "And is this really the right time to be bitching about your brothers extracurricular activities? There's a coven of witches lookin' for your boy right now." Ellen craned her head towards the bathroom before jabbing her pointer finger into the table. "Four people have already died in this town," Ellen whispered, "our job is to find em and stop em. Now are you gonna stand here all night and gripe or are we gonna get to work?"

Bless Bobby and his chili making abilities. Dean hasn't been able to make an actual meal in his kitchen yet, but he isn't complaining anymore. The four of them sat around the table and ate dinner, weirdly like an actual family, and discussed a game plan.

"The way I see it, the best way to keep Castiel safe is to catch them off guard. Preferably away from the property. They'll be makin' their way here soon enough, we need to find them and kill em before the get the chance." Bobby took a long drink of beer and clunked it down on the table and Dean definitely didn't cringe at the watermark it was leaving (hey, he still had plans to restore it ok?).

"If they're coming for Castiel, why aren't they here already? I mean, they know where he lives right?" Sam scooped up the last bit of his chili with a slice of cornbread and stuffed it in his mouth.

Ellen nodded. "Yeah, they know. They just like to have a little fun along the way. Covens can't help but leave a trail of bloody bodies and bad magic along the way. That's why it should be easy to find them before they've had their fun and come lookin' for a grand finale." Dean shuddered and turned towards the bathroom door. "Dean, honey, I promise we won't let anything happen to Castiel."

Dean's head whipped around as Ellen laid her hand on his and patted it gently. "Thanks, Elle," Dean muttered with definitely _no_ tears in his eyes. He cleared his throat and glanced around the table. "So, what's the plan?"

Bobby leaned back in his chair and rested his hands on his stomach. "Last we heard, they were in the East part of town. Took out a few of Rufus' livestock. He tried to get a handle on em but they disappeared into the woods. That was last night, so I'm thinkin' they're holed up in there for now."

Ellen reached down over and pulled her bag in front of her while Sam cleared her plate. "These here are witch killing bullets." She pulled out a magazine filled with silver bullets, ejected one of them and handed it to Dean. "It'll stop those bitches dead in their tracks. No comin' back from that."

Dean turned it over in his palm a few times, looking at the marking carved into the round. "These kinda look like the marks on Sam's knife."

Bobby nodded. "Not exactly like 'em but close. That knife'll put down just about anything but its main use is for killin' demons. Don't lose that, by the way, only one in existence," Bobby said gruffly, pointing a finger at Sam.

"No, sir. Won't let it out of my sight," he promised. "So you're saying we should scout the woods where Rufus saw them?"

"It's our best bet," Ellen nodded. "We'll head out early tomorrow morning and see if they're there."

"Shouldn't we go tonight?" Dean asked, pushing his bowl away with the tip of his finger. "The sooner the better right?"

"First of all, you aren't going," Bobby said. He rested his elbow on the table and pointed at the bathroom door. "Someone needs to stay with Castiel. He can't be left alone. The three of us'll go."

"Like hell!" Dean stood up quickly, his chair scraping against the floor loudly and he briefly registered a splash coming from the bathroom. "Sammy isn't goin' out there alone."

"I'm not going to be alone, Dean. Bobby and Ellen are good at what they do and I know you don't wanna hear it, but I---" he sighed and looked to Ellen who nodded. "I want to do this. I feels like it's something I'm _supposed_ to be doing. All my life I've felt out of place, no job felt right. This _feels_ right, Dean."

"Sammy---"

"No, Dean! When are you going to realize you don't need to protect me anymore? Why do you think I sent you this house?"

Dean cocked his head. "What?"

Sam frowned and ran a hand through his hair. "Dean, you were going nowhere back home and you know it. You were suffocating in that apartment and hated your job. You only stayed because of me. I can't---I won't let you live a miserable life just because you think you have to be within arms length of me my whole life. I love you, Dean, I do. But you---you _need_ your own life." Sam let out a deep breath and ran his hands down his face.

Bobby slapped his hands down on the table. "Well, if we're all done feeling or feelings, Ellen and I are gonna hit the hay. Long day tomorrow. You got a room we can stay in?"

"Take mine," Sam said quietly. "I'll take the couch. Dean has his sleeping bag."

"Up the stairs. Second room on the right," Dean said while staring at his brother.

Ellen kissed Sam on top of the head and patted Deans shoulder on the way up the rickety steps. Bobby grumbled something about them being a hazard before Dean heard the door close.

"Is that really how you feel?" Dean asked quietly, wiping away stray crumb on the table.

"Yeah, Dean, I do. I felt like shit knowing you weren't happy and it was my fault."

"It wasn't your fault," Dean sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I just---I don't like leavin' you alone." He held his hand up when Sam opened his mouth. "I know you ain't a kid anymore and don't need me to protect you or anything. S'just, you're my brother." He shrugged and looked anywhere but Sam.

"I get it. I do. I just want you to be happy." He glanced to the bathroom door and back to his brother. "Kinda seems like you are now."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Don't start," he muttered.

Sam smiled wide. "Dean and Castiel, sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N--"

Dean whipped his spoon at Sam who ducked and laughed. "Shut the hell up and go to bed," he barked. "I'm gonna sleep in with Cas tonight. I _don't_ wanna hear it, Sam." He pointed a finger at his brother with a glare.

Sam held his hands up in defense. "I won't say a word. Just keep it down, alright?" He dodged just in time as a beer bottle was chucked at him.

Dean tossed his pillow and sleeping bag on the floor of the bathroom. He locked the door before turning and bracing his hands against the sink.

"Dean?"

"Yeah, Cas?" he answered, unbuttoning his pants and letting them fall to the floor with a thud.

"Everything ok?"

Dean shedded his shirt before looking over at Castiel and damn it. No, he was definitely not ok. Castiel's hair was wild and dripping wet. His tan skin was damp and Dean could see goosebumps rising on his skin. He knelt next to the tub and let his hand dip into the water.

"You cold?" he asked, running his fingers up Castiel's thigh.

"A little," he admitted with a frown. "Also, kinda hurts."

Dean's eyes widened. "What? What hurts? Where?"

Castiel's hands lowered into the water and grazed his hips and thighs down to where his knees would be. "It aches."

"Can I?" Dean asked, hesitantly moving his hand towards Cas'. When Castiel nodded, Dean pressed down lightly on his left side and slid his hand towards the middle of his body. It wasn't as thick or hard as it usually was. Where muscle used to be was now soft and fleshy. Dean gasped when his finger sunk in between where Castiel's knee should be. "Did that hurt?" Castiel shrugged and frowned. He continued trailing down his tail, feeling the scale and skin getting thinner and thinner until he reached his fin. Dean frowned when he saw the thin, tattered remains of it. "Cas, what's happening to you?"

"I don't know," Castiel confessed. "Can't feel this." He flapped his tail weakly and tried to move his fin.

"You can't feel your tail? Or your fin?"

"Tail, kinda? Fin, nothing."

Dean let his fingers trail across the ruined fin and gasped again when a chunk of it came off in his hand. He turned wide eyed to Castiel. "I'm sorry---fuck I'm so sorry. Did that hurt?"

Castiel shook his head. "No. Keep going?"

Dean dropped the piece of dead fin on the floor and sunk his hands into the water, pulling gently at the rest. To Dean's horror, it came off easily, leaving Castiel with no fin and the blunt end of a tail. He dragged his eyes up Castiel's body to his blue eyes and did the most reasonable thing he could think of--he slid over the side of the tub and straddled Castiel's tail, avoiding actually sitting on it. He slid his hands up Castiel's thighs carefully, inspecting every flaky scale and thin sheen of skin covering muscle.

"It's like---I don't know, Cas. It doesn't hurt? You're shedding. Molting? Wait no that's birds. You're fin is kinda like feathers I guess, maybe? Maybe Ellen---"

Castiel placed his hands on Dean's and gripped them lightly to stop his rambling. "Dean, it doesn't hurt," he assured him. He pulled Dean forward so he was seated on his lap. "I promise," he whispered before running his hands through Dean's hair and guided him in for a kiss. Dean's breath caught in his throat when he felt Castiel's tongue glide over his bottom lip.

"Cas---wait," Dean whispered against the creatures mouth.

Castiel hummed quietly before pulling away. "Dean, please. Please," he whined. "I want to." And who the hell is Dean to deny such a request? Castiel gripped Deans hips hard and lifted his hips up, grinding them against Dean. He licked his way into Dean's mouth hungrily, moaning when he felt Dean hardening against him. He pawed at Deans boxers, shoving them down around his hips.

Dean chuckled and pulled away slowly. "Easy tiger, we'll get there," he promised. He stood carefully and peeled off his boxers, dropping them to the side with a splat. Castiel's hands were on him instantly, tugging him forward. Dean stumbled forward and braced his hand on the wall. He shuddered when he felt Cas' talons prick at his sides, locking him in place before he wrapped his mouth around Dean's cock.

"Jesus Christ Cas," Dean hissed. He looked down and groaned when Castiel's lips stretched around his cock. He looked up at Dean and raised an eyebrow before taking him deeper. Feeling Castiel's tongue swirl around him was almost too much to bare so he pulled away gently, watching as the creatures mouth hung open with nearly black eyes. "Hang--hang on," Dean breathed out with a smirk. Castiel licked his lips and let his talons drag down Dean's thighs.

Dean lowered himself into the cooling water, feeling Castiel's cock slip between his thighs. Castiel thrusted up into them and wrapped his arms around Dean, kissing and licking any exposed skin. Dean reached behind himself and let his fingers drift between his cheeks. Water slicking the way, he opened himself up slowly while Castiel rutted into him, his breathy pants beating against his neck. With his free hand, he pumped Castiel's cock and leaned forward, lining himself up with him.

Castiel's eyes were fully black when Dean sunk down slowly. His mouth hung open, dragging in air as he felt Dean fully seat himself on his cock. "Dean," he huffed against the man's chest, thrusting up gently. His talons sunk into Dean's back and growled.

Dean's knees dug painfully against the bottom of the tub as he lifted himself up and sunk back down. "C'mon Cas," he urged. His breath was punched from his lungs when Castiel drove his hips up sharply, fucking into him hard as the water sloshed over the side of the tub. Dean fisted his own cock in time with Cas' thrusts, the other hand gripped at the base of his skull.

"Dean. Dean-Dean-Dean," Castiel panted, his head lolled back against the tub. His hips lifted off the bottom of the tub, moaning loudly as he came. Dean leaned forward and kissed the sounds away, chasing his own release as he spilled over Castiel's stomach.

They kissed each other lazily, Dean's hands gently rubbing the back of Cas' neck. Castiel sighed softly and ran his hands up Dean's sides.

"Been a long time since I've done that," Dean confessed with a shy smile pressed to Cas' shoulder.

"Even longer for me," Castiel chuckled. "That was---very nice."

Dean hummed his approval and kissed Castiel's chest lightly before lifting off Cas' lap. "Gonna need to drain this water," he grimaced. Castiel looked down and scrunched his nose.

Once the tub was drained and refilled and the water was mopped from the floor, Dean laid out his sleeping bag next to the tub. He lifted a hand over the edge and tapped until Castiel laced his fingers through his.

"Night Cas," Dean murmured, his face smashed against the thin pillow.

The water lapped lightly against the tub as Castiel leaned over. "Goodnight, Dean."

Dean woke with a crick in his neck. His leg was asleep and he was facing away from the tub, a pale yellow wall staring back at him. He groaned and rolled onto his back, feeling it pop against the hardwood floor.

"Too fucking old to be sleeping on the damn floor," he grumbled. He turned his head over, lifting his hand to rap his knuckles against the tub. "You up, Cas?" When he didn't get a response, he lifted himself up on his elbows. "Cas?"

Nothing.

Dean shot up and leaned over the tub. It was drained. Empty. No water. No Cas. Nothing.

Dean wrenched the door open and stormed out into the dining room. "Cas!"

He heard footsteps in the kitchen and his heart started racing. They rounded the corner and into the dining room, stopping just inside the room.

Dean's mouth went as dry as the tub when he saw Castiel standing in the doorway dressed in a pair of his jeans and a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned up against the door jamb.

"Hello, Dean."


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did ya see it coming? Dean sure didn't!
> 
> First off, I need to thank everyone that has been commenting on this fic. IT. GIVES. ME LIFFFEEEE. You have no idea how good it makes me feel knowing you guys are enjoying to story
> 
> Second, I think there's only going to be a few more chapters (two or three)
> 
> I hope you enjoy my "OH MY GOD I FUCKING GET IT!" moment in this one. She's been in the tags for a while and I didn't know how to include her but I knewww she had to be in it. So, surprise!!
> 
> Thirdly, it took much longer than anticipated to get this chapter finished and edited because I had food poisoning and my body was like "MMMmmmno. Not today. Or tomorrow. Maybe the next day but probably not." I'm still shaky and my lips are tingling because I DON'T KNOW WHY but here we are.

Dean just...stared.

It's early morning, the sun is barely over the horizon but it's casting a pale yellow light through the dining room window that Dean has still yet to replace. It flooded the floor boards and stretched over the dusty area rug that a pair of bare feet are standing on. Bare feet that weren't there twelve hours ago.

No, last night there was a tattered fin and a nub of a tail, not thick fucking thighs Dean can imagine having wrapped around his waist. _Fucking hell, not now Winchester. FOCUS!_

Castiel leaned against the frame and let Dean take it all in. He's silent and smiling, the ray of sun shining across his chest and face, sans disco ball effect. Which, yeah, that sucks because it was really fucking cool but _Castiel is STANDING in front of me._ Dean suddenly can't form words or remember how to be a functioning human, so he does the next best thing.

He walked across the room, right up into Castiel's space and kissed him. Soft and careful, like if Dean moved too fast Cas'll spontaneously grow scales and a tail back, forcing him to wriggle his way back into the tub. Quite the opposite, in fact. Castiel brought his hands up and rested them on the side of Dean's neck, tilting him to gain better access. Dean lets his hands travel down Cas' body, landing on the side of his hips and thighs. He dug his fingers into the denim just to _feel_ \---to make sure they're really legs and not just some sick joke his brain is playing. When Castiel gasped against his mouth, Dean pulled away like he'd been shocked.

Castiel just shook his head and smiled. "You didn't hurt me, Dean. It's just a new sensation is all." And fuuuuuck, that voice rumbled right through Dean's chest and made him whine a little. Cas was getting pretty good at choppy sentences before last night, but being able to have a full on conversation with him now was just---a lot. Castiel tilted Dean's chin up with a finger and kissed him once more.

"Cas, you have legs," Dean said dumbly.

Castiel chuckled and traced the line of Dean's jaw. "I do. To be honest I'm not sure how it happened, but judging from the state of my tail last night, this," he gestured towards his denim clad legs, "was inevitable."

"And---you're talking. Like, normal talk."

Castiel looked at Dean like he was the only thing that mattered as he ran his thumb over his bottom lip. "I suppose one of us has to. Are you alright?" he asked as he ran his fingers through Dean's hair and rested his hand on the side of his neck.

Dean's eyes widened. "Yeah, yeah I think so. This is just fucking crazy, man. I don't understand but fuck I'm so happy." He leaned in and kissed Castiel again, fully wrapping his arms around the man and holding him close because he _could._

"I may be able to shine some light on that," a very strange, _very_ Scottish voice called from the front porch.

Dean immediately pushed Castiel behind him and turned towards the door. His heart slammed in his chest as a brilliant shade of red hair attached to a petite woman poked her head around the door. "May I come in?"

"F-fuck no! Who're you?" he demanded.

The woman scoffed lightly and pushed the door open, wiping her hands on her emerald gown as she frowned. "You've really let this place go to hell. I thought you were supposed to be fixing the property, not living in squalor? Dean, be a dear and put the tea on."

Castiel moved from behind Dean and walked towards the woman, his height dwarfing her. He stood in front of her for a moment (while Dean had a heart attack) before leaning down and hugging her tightly.

"Rowena," he muttered into her mass of hair. "I've missed you so much." Dean watched with wide eyes as the two embraced each other, gently rocking from side to side. Rowena peeked over Castiel's arm and sighed, patting his back.

"I've missed you too, love. But I think your man needs an explanation before he combusts."

Castiel released her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, leading her towards a very confused Dean.

"Dean, this is Rowena Macleod." He looks down at her fondly and smiles. "She's---" Castiel furrowed his brows as a pained look crossed over his face.

"I'm a witch, deary." She raised her hand when Dean clenched his jaw and took a step forward. "Not like the others, our boy here can assure you." She bumped Castiel with her hip and smiled playfully. "Now about that tea?"

Dean looked back and forth between them a few times before turning on his heel and storming off into the kitchen.

"Dean, where are you---"

"Coffee, Cas. And apparently _tea._ I need coffee before I can even begin to understand what the fuck is going on!"

Fifteen very loud minutes of banging around in the kitchen later, Dean sets a steaming mug of tea down in front of Rowena and parks himself across from her. He watches as she wipes away dust from the table and pulls the mug closer, blowing on the surface. He took a scalding drink, ignoring the fact that his tongue was blistering, of his coffee and closed his eyes.

"Ok. So," he pointed to Castiel, "not a mermaid anymore. Dunno how that happened, but you," he pointed to Rowena, "are a 'good' witch and can tell me how Cas grew legs overnight?"

Rowena smiled around the rim of her mug. "Indeed." She set her mug down and placed a gentle hand on Castiel's which made Dean just a lot infuriated. "Castiel was a hunter, as you know. Back in our day, it wasn't uncommon for hunters to use witches as resources. We have a vast knowledge of all things good and evil. Yer boy and I were thick as thieves and relied on each others help quite often."

"So---you're friends?" Dean asked with a raised eyebrow.

"So much more than that," Castiel smiled, squeezing Rowena's hand.

Dean's eyes widened. _Fuck._ "Oh. Uh, ok. Well," he cleared his throat, "it's good that you two can be, y'know, together again." Dean scooted his chair back and stood, grabbing his mug and headed for the kitchen.

He dumped the remaining coffee down the drain and a little piece of his heart went with it. Of course Cas didn't need him anymore. He had _her_ now, they have way more history and probably a lot of "catching up" to do. Maybe it was the stress of the morning or his empty stomach, but something was gnawing at Dean's insides. He gripped the edge of the sink as he heard bare feet pad across the kitchen floor.

"Dean---"

Dean spun around and leaned against the sink, looking anywhere but Castiel. He raised his hands in defeat. "Hey man, I get it. You're you again and the old flame is back in town. You guys go do whatever it is you gotta do." And yep, there goes the rest of his heart, crushed to dust. Just add it to the pile collecting under his feet.

Castiel walked slowly over to Dean until he was directly in front of him. "Dean," he sighed.

"S'ok, Cas. I gotta call Sam anyway." His heart thudded in his chest when he remembered they had plans to go into the woods this morning and scout the witches (so sue him, he forgot for a minute.) He brushed past Castiel and bounded up the stairs, completely ignoring the witch still sitting at his fucking table sipping her tea. He shouldered the door open and yanked his phone off the charger.

Two new messages. _Fuck._ He scrolled through them quickly and sighed with relief.

_From: Sam_

_Don't be pissed off that we didn't wake you up._

_F_ _rom: Sam_

_We're safe. No witches in the woods. Going back to Bobbys to regroup. Call you later._

Well, that's one crisis down. He thought about texting him back and saying not to worry about it because _Rowena the Good Witch_ is here now and she can take care of Cas' problems. He let himself plop down onto the mattress and have a three second pity party before he heard the door squeak open.

For a while, Castiel just stared at Dean as he fiddled nervously with his phone before walking over and sitting next to him.

"Rowena and I aren't, and never were, together," he said quietly. "If you remember, I was married when this happened to me. Rowena was as close as family. My wife and I loved her like a sister." Well shit, now Dean just feels like a giant asshole. "She was instrumental in helping us keep demons and monsters out of the town. Hunters can only do so much, but when you have a witch by your side, there's practically no stopping us."

Dean nodded and flipped his phone over in his hand. "Alright," he whispered.

"If you'd come downstairs, we'd like to explain to you what she thinks happened to me." Castiel rested his hand on Dean's knee and squeezed it gently.

"Am I correct in assuming we've gotten our panties out of a twist?" Rowena asked as she drank the last of her tea.

"Ro," Castiel scolded. Dean glared at her from across the table but softened when Castiel brushed his leg against his under the table.

"Right, so. Dean, you were very rude to me when we first met," she accused.

"Well, it's not every day a witch just waltzed into your house and requests tea. Sorry if I was a little less than hospitable." Dean crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm not talking about this morning, my dear. I mean when you first entered the pool house."

 _Ok, what?_ "What?"

Castiel smiled at Rowena before turning to Dean. "Do you remember the crow in the corner of the pool house?"

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah. Fucker is loud as hell and makes a mess. Why?"

Rowena raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at Dean and smirked. "I apologize for the mess. It's not like I had actual hands I could use to clean up after myself. Oh, by the by, thank you for removing that dreadful racoon carcass. That was in there for _years_ and I was about ready to fly myself into one of the glass panes just to get away from it."

Dean looked between the two of them like an idiot, his brain trying to understand what the hell she was talking---

 _Oh. Holy shit._ The crow cawed so loud every time Dean got close to the pool. It raised holy hell when he brought in the sump pump and tried to drain the pool. This little redheaded witch was there through it all. _She's the damn crow._

Dean ran his fingers roughly through his hair and chuckled as he stared at the ceiling. "You've gotta be shitting me." He snorted and rolled his head so he was looking at Castiel. "Seriously?"

Castiel nodded. "After they cursed me, I needed someone to protect me. Rowena wasn't killed in the massacre and stayed by my side the whole time. Well," he looked at Rowena shyly, blush growing over his cheeks, "not the _whole_ time."

"Yes, yes. I flitted myself out of there before I saw anything scandalous," her eyes dragged up and down Dean's torso before adding, "unfortunately. You were the first to get past the warding Mr. and Mrs. Singer put up. Which poses the question- why you, Dean?"

Castiel bit his lip as he watched Dean's face scrunch. "I dunno lady. I hardly have any idea what's going on lately. Just kinda goin' with the flow."

Rowena rested her elbows on the table and leaned in closer to Dean. "You walked through warding no one on Earth should be able to. Castiel _spoke_ to you, the first person in over fifty years including myself. He began losing his scales and his shimmer after your first---what shall we call it?---romantic interaction. Not to mention his fin and then his entire tail completely dissolved overnight. Come now, Dean. I know you're more than just a pretty face. Use that brain of yours and tell me why the curse lifted as soon as you came into the picture."

Dean turned to Castiel with a confused, yet terrified, look on his face. "I made you---" he waved his hand up and down Cas' body. "This is because of me?" He ran a hand down his face and let it slap on his thigh. "Fuck. I mean I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not." Dean smiled and reached over to hold Castiel's hand. "I mean, the mermaid stuff was cool and all, but this is so much better."

Castiel squeezed Dean's hand. "I have to agree."

Dean furrowed his brows and looked down at their hands, almost missing the lights that used to dance across Cas' skin. "Why me?" he asked quietly.

"In all my years, and don't let my looks deceive you I'm far older than I look, I've only known one possible way to break curses and spells without having them directly reversed." Rowena slowly raised an eyebrow at Dean.

Dean scoffed as he ran his thumb over the back of Castiel's hand. "Yeah, what's that? True love's kiss?"

"Precisely," she simply stated.

Before Dean could react, his front door was shoved open and slammed against the wall. Sam barged through the room, covered in sweat and blood.

"Dean help! One of them got Ellen!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo, I'm back.  
> I apologize for being away for so long. I had real world issue to deal with and it brought me down HARD. But, I'm pushing through them and getting back to what makes me happy- writing.  
> Thank you all for being patient AND checking up on me. It means the world to me.  
> NOW, let's get back to it, shall we?

The room was silent, save for Sam's heavy breathing. His chest heaved as blood dripped from his hands onto the hardwood floors (which absolutely made Dean cringe). He clenched his fists as he glared at Rowena.

"Sammy. Hey, whoa." Dean flew out of his chair and stepped to his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder to hold him back. "She's cool. She's with us." Dean quickly gave his brother a once over, making sure the blood soaking into his clothes didn't belong to him. "What the hell happened? I thought you said they weren't in the woods?"

Sam glanced to Castiel who slowly rose from his chair. A smile flicked across his mouth before returning his gaze to Rowena. "Something--or someone--tipped them off. They were waiting at Bobby's when we got back."

Dean's heart felt like it was going to drop through his stomach. He opened his mouth but was cut off.

"Sam," Castiel said slowly, "this is Rowena. She's a friend. She was with me when my family died and did everything in her power to stop it. She's---" he glanced at the redhead who was sitting with her eyebrow raised at Sam, "she's family."

Sam relaxed minutely, still narrowing his eyes at the woman before turning to Castiel. "You're---Cas you have legs," Sam gawked.

Looking down and shaking a foot, Castiel smiled. "Yes, it would seem so," he chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah. The Little Mermaid is a real girl now," Dean huffed. "Can we get back to the real problem here? Where did they take Ellen? Is she hurt? Where's Bobby?"

Sam shook his head. "We don't know where they took her. One minute we were walking up the steps to Bobby's place and the next they were just---" Sam held his hands up in front of him, " _right_ there. I pulled out my knife and started swinging." He shuddered at the thought and closed his eyes. "We tried Dean. We really did. I got a few of 'em and Bobby did what he could but--" A sob caught in his throat and his shoulders slumped.

"Hey, c'mon man," Dean whispered as he pulled his brother into a hug. "S'alright. We'll find her. We'll get her back."

"We have no idea where they are," Sam said as he pulled away from his brother.

"I can find them," Rowena chimed in.

Everyone turned to look at her expectantly.

"Well?" Dean barked.

Rowena rolled her eyes and patted the table. "Sit down, loves. Let Auntie Rowena tell you a story."

Castiel sat another cup of tea down in front of Rowena and sat down next to Dean.

"Called Bobby. He's on his way. Should we wait?" Sam asked.

Rowena shook her head. "We'll catch him up when he gets here. I get the feeling he isn't the 'sit around the campfire and listen to ghost stories' type." Dean scoffed and rolled his eyes. Rowena turned to Sam and placed her hand on his. "Years ago, and I mean well over one hundred, I was part of the coven you're currently hunting." She felt Sam tense under her and patted his hand. "Had I known what they were, I never would have joined them. They're cruel, and dangerous. Stuck in the old ways, never caring to evolve or change with the times. I, on the other hand, saw them for what they were--evil. Most covens come together for a single purpose--survival. You---" she shook her head and pulled her hand back, wrapping her fingers around her mug. "You don't know what it's like being what I am," she whispered. "So I had two choices. One- stay with them and travel the world cursing and killing, or two," she smiled at Castiel, "I could teather myself to the good in this world and work with hunters. I met Castiel and his wife and it felt like I found my purpose."

Castiel reached his hand across the table and waited for Rowena to place her hand in his. He squeezed it gently and smiled. "We couldn't have done most of it without you."

Sam glanced at Dean, worry creasing his brow. Dean shook his head quickly and flapped his hand.

Rowena caught the look in Sam's eyes and scoffed. "It is possible for men and women to be close without ripping their clothes off and mating on the nearest flat surface," she chided. "Though Castiel and I _are_ bound, we share a familial bond. Besides, even if I were attracted to Castiel that way, it would be unwise to get in the way of true love."

Dean's heart skipped about ten beats as his brother gawked at him.

"So that's---" Sam wagged his finger between Dean and Cas. "They're---"

"I think the words you're looking for are 'soul mates'. That's the only way the curse could have been broken. The coven assumed, as did I, that Castiel's wife was his. They cursed Castiel into a life of loneliness in that wretched pool."

"Hey! I cleaned it out," Dean defended.

Rowena bowed her head with a smile. "So you did, and we thank you for that."

"Wait. _We_?" Sam asked.

Dean hooked his thumb towards the witch. "Rowena was the crow."

Sam's eyes widened. "This is...crazy. Dean, this is crazy! She's a shapeshifting witch and you're soul mates with an ex mermaid."

Dean shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "Yeah, well. You said you wanted me to live my own life. This is it."

"So let me get this straight- the witches cursed Cas, the spell broke because Dean showed up, and now they're back to finish the job?"

"Precisely," Rowena said as she sipped her tea.

"This is crazy," Sam whispered.

Bobby arrived a while later and got the short version of the story. With his hands on his hips and his lips pursed, all he had to say was "Great. Can we plan the weddin' after we get my wife back?"

Rowena led Bobby and the others to the back porch, gently running her hand over the screen door as she passed through it. Purple clouds trickled from her fingers and onto the torn fabric. Dean watched as it seemed to stitch itself back together. She smiled at him shyly and curved a finger at the group, beckoning them to the back yard. Dean felt Castiel's hand brush against his own. He laced his fingers through Cas' and pulled him close to his side, his heart clenching as Castiel's face tensed.

"What're we doing out here Rowena?" Dean asked gruffly, feeling Castiel press against his side.

She turned to face the group, wringing her hands. "As you all know, this is where the coven took Castiel's family away from him. I know it pains you to be here." Pulling her eyebrows together and frowning, she looked at Castiel with guilt in her eyes. "I can feel the dread in your heart. But this is something that must be done, Castiel."

Sam stepped forward and put his hand on Bobby's shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"I'm still linked to the coven, whether they know it or not. This is the last place we were all together, think of this land as an imprint. The magic is still here, deep in the soil. Now that I am human again, I can infiltrate their thoughts by using the residual magic here. It's simple, really."

"Astral projection," Sam whispered.

Rowena smiled and Dean cocked his head towards his brother. "Astral what-what?"

Sam looked at Rowena with wide eyes, his expression in awe. "She's going to listen in on them. She'll be able to see them--and Ellen. Dean she's basically a long distance walkie-talkie."

Dean nodded. "Got it." He waved a hand in her direction and sighed. "Go for it, I guess."

Rowena nodded and lowered herself to the ground. Her fingers spread and dug into the dirt. Dean wrapped an arm around Castiel's waist as they watched Rowena's eyes cloud with purple sparks. Her breathing became erratic and her body stiffened. Her head snapped back until she was staring at the sky with a vacant look in her eyes. Lips moving, but no sound emerged.

"Is she---"

"She's fine," Castiel assured Dean. "She's linked now."

A flurry of purple wisps shrouded her shoulders and swirled around her head. A long, pained sigh ripped from her lips before she closed her eyes and fell backwards onto the grass.

Sam rushed to her side and lifted her gently by the back of her neck. "Rowena?"

The witch's eyes fluttered open. "I'm quite alright, Samuel," a smile tugged at her lips. She let Sam help her stand, brushing grass and dirt off her dress. "It's as I suspected." She turned to Bobby. "Your wife is quiet well. They haven't harmed her." Rowena smirked. "The mouth on that woman is incredible. I've never heard such a colorful array of words strung together before." Bobby sighed and ran a hand down his face. "They are planning on using her as bait."

"Figured that much," Bobby grunted.

Rowena turned to Castiel and frowned. "They're coming Castiel. Tonight. We must be ready."

"Rowena and I are going with Bobby to load up on weapons and supplies. She'll know what we need for tonight. You two gonna be alright for an hour or so?" Sam asked, glancing at Castiel as he rinsed Rowena's mug in the sink.

"We'll be fine. Be careful." Dean pulled his brother in for a quick hug before clearing his throat. "Go on," he said, nodding his head towards the door. Sam nodded and held back a smile as he trotted over and opened the door for Rowena.

Dean listened as the truck's tired crunched the gravel in the driveway as they left and let out a long sigh. He turned to see Castiel bracing himself against the sink, his head hung between his shoulders.

"This, uh---this is a lot, Cas. I can't imagine what it's like for you." He walked up behind Castiel and placed his hand on his shoulder, gently turning him around.

Castiel's blue eyes were rimmed with red and watering. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry you're involved in this."

"Hey, no." Dean lifted Castiel's chin with two fingers until their eyes met. "None'a this would be happening if I didn't move here. But you know what? It---this," he gestured between them, "this feels right. I mean, I know Red said we were, y'know..."

"Soul mates," Castiel offered with a small smile.

"Yeah. An' I know we haven't known each other for that long, but fuck, Cas I---"

Castiel interrupted Dean by pressing forward and kissing him, his hands rising up to cup the back of Dean's neck. His tongue slid across Dean's lips, making him groan in the back of his throat. Dean's hands found Castiel's hips and dug his fingers in, thumbs dipping down under the top of his jeans. Dean's mouth trailed hot, wet kisses down Cas' jaw and neck.

"Can't believe you're here," Dean muttered against his skin. "Can't believe you're mine."

Castiel groaned and pushed Dean backwards until he hit the table. His hands gripped the bottom of Dean's shirt and tore it over his head and immediately placed them on his chest, fingers trailing down his sides.

Dean's mouth hung open as he panted, feeling Castiel's fingers tugging at his belt. He reached out and popped the button on Castiel's pants just as his were yanked down around his thighs.

"Cas," Dean whispered, only to be hushed by the other man's mouth on his.

"Beautiful," Castiel murmured against Dean's mouth as his hand traveled up Dean's thigh. Dean held back a moan as Castiel gripped his cock, pumping him lightly. "Turn around my love," he whispered into Dean's ear.

Obeying, Dean turned and placed his hands on the table, briefly reminding himself that he was going to restore it one day, so a little bodily fluid wasn't a big deal. The sound of Castiel's jeans hitting the floor pulled him from his errant though, as did the feeling of Castiel's thighs brushing against his own. Castiel wrapped an arm around Dean, resting his hand on the man's chest. His other hand traveled down Dean's back and over the swell of his ass and rested on the back of his thighs.

"Yes," Dean moaned, answering Castiel's unspoken question. He sighed at the loss of Castiel's hand, but only briefly. It returned moments later, wet and warm. Dean slumped over the table and groaned at Castiel's finger entering him.

"So good," Castiel breathed out. "So perfect for me, Dean."

Castiel opened Dean carefully and slowly on three fingers, his other hand gripping Dean's hip hard.

"Ready," Dean hissed against the table, craning his head to see Castiel. His eyes were wild and black as they stared at Dean. "M'ready, Cas. Please," he begged.

Castiel gripped himself in his hand and nudged at Dean's opening. He pressed forward as Castiel leaned in, finally sliding inside. Dean moaned into the table and pressed his forehead against it.

Castiel started a slow, even pace. Rocking his hips and trailing his hand down Dean's sweat-slick back.

"You feel so good. So divine." Castiel choked on his words as Dean jerked his hips backwards, sinking fully into him. "Fuck," he hissed, quickening his pace.

Dean's fingers scratched at the table briefly before he felt himself being raised. Castiel pulled Dean up, pressing his chest to the other man's back and placed his hand over Dean's heart as he rocked into him.

"Fuck Cas," Dean groaned, resting his head against Castiel's shoulder. He hissed when he felt a hand grip his cock and pump it tightly.

Castiel licked and sucked at Dean's neck, driving into him wildly as he jerked his cock quickly. "Come, Dean. Come for me," he whispered into the other man's ear before sinking his teeth into the soft flesh there.

Dean whined as he watched Castiel's hand wrap around the head of his cock, smearing his pre come down his shaft. He closed his eyes and cried out as he came over Castiel's hand and onto the table.

Castiel's hand tightened on Dean's chest as his hips bucked roughly, driving his cock deep into Dean. His teeth grazed down Dean's neck and sunk into his shoulder, muffling his cry as he came in Dean.

Dean reached a hand back and squeezed Castiel's thigh lightly, panting as they both came down from the highs. He winced as he felt Castiel slip out of him, only to smile when Castiel peppered his back with soft kisses.

They cleaned up and dressed in relative silence, sharing shy smiles and chuckling when Castiel tripped over his pant leg.

"It's been a long time since I've needed these," he sighed as he pulled the jeans up, leaving them unbuttoned.

Dean licked his lips and shook his head. "Shame, too. You look fine as hell in 'em." He walked over and rested his hands on Castiel's hips. "I don't think I'll ever get tired'a lookin' at you in my clothes."

Castiel chuckled and kissed Dean softy. "Maybe one day I'll even have a pair of my own."

Dean scoffed and waved a hand in the air. "Nah, we can just keep sharing---"

A loud crack of thunder rattled the house and shattered the kitchen windows. Dirt and sod shot through the now open windows and rained down inside the house.

Dean gripped Castiel's wrists and pulled him down, cowering behind the counter. 

Another rumble rolled through the house as the sky turned a pale, sickening green color. The walls moaned in protest as Dean watched the drywall split and crumble down around him.

"Castiel Novak!" a voice bellowed. "Be a dear and join us outside."

Castiel's eyes widened as he pulled himself up over the counter.

Six witches in black robes with their hoods up stood in his backyard. There were smoking craters close to the house, red embers smoldering in the center.

"I won't ask again. The next one will land on your friend here."

Castiel gasped as two more hooded figures emerged from the edge of the woods, pulling a bound and gagged Ellen between them.


End file.
